Lucy, Ethel, The Waltons and Hudson
by Whisperer of the Wind
Summary: But no matter how you looked at it, something had to be done. And since Hudson and Bronx were the experts of intervention, courtesy of watching Lucy and her friend Ethel  and occasionally The Waltons,  they were the perfect ones to do the job.
1. Prologue

Hello! This is my second story, and possibly my first chapter story. Not really sure how I want this to turn out at this point, just that it's gonna have a good ending. In case you don't really know who I'm talking about in this story, I recently discovered an old show called Gargoyles. These six gargoyles are encased in stone for thousands of years because of a wizard's spell. Now, all these years later, the gargoyles wake up in New York City. They are soon discovered by Detective Elisa Maza, however, and she proves to be a trustworthy friend. Together they vow to protect the innocent citizens of New York and embark on tons of amazing adventures. It's a really awesome show, though it ended after Season 3. You can go onto .com and see the complete first season if it sounds like somrthing you'd like. Anyway, enjoy the story!

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><p>This was so messed up. Surely, Mother Nature didn't intend for something like this to happen. A gargoyle and a human, together? It was twisted, it was wrong, it was totally one-sided. He was absolutely the most wonderful being on this Earth, and here she was; some stupidly infatuated human who was just living in a dream world. Sure, she fit in and all the other gargoyles accepted her, but it wasn't the same as actually <em>being<em> like them. She was considered part of their family, but she could never really be part of their family. She wasn't a rookery sister or parent to any of them.

Lexington, Broadway and Brooklyn all grew up together. Goliath not only had his mentor, Hudson, but his biological daughter Angela as well. And all of them had Bronx. They grew up through the centuries together, excepting Angela, though that wasn't really her fault. They went through things she couldn't even imagine. All that betrayal and pain, still raw after all this time. She couldn't even begin to comprehend that. The only time she even came close to understanding that was when her brother Derek was turned into a gargoyle and she thought she'd lost him forever. But she got him back, in the end.

Even Zanatos had found someone to share his life with. And now he and Fox were married and having their first baby. Even if she divorced him and took the child away in the future, he still had Owen. Not a very likely scenario, but it was still true.

All the facts pointed to one conclusion; that it couldn't work out between them. But she wanted it to work, she wanted it to be possible with all her soul and heart alike. She wanted it so much it hurt. She'd give anything to be able to be with him- her family, her job, even her very form.

When Puck turned her into a gargoyle and Goliath tried to teach her how to fly, it felt so right. Deep down she knew that something was wrong, but she quashed that stupid little nagging voice. She was going to enjoy this for as long as she could, no matter how convoluted it was. The truth was she didn't care.

But all dreams come to an end. And when she was a human again and Goliath was a gargoyle like it was supposed to be, she almost cried with frustration. But she was Elisa Maza, and Elisa Maza cried in front of no one, no matter what. Except for the whole Derek fiasco, but she was justified that time. And everyone left her to wail in peace, no soothing pats and comforting noises.

So when Goliath tried to say something before he turned to stone, with _that_ look in his eye, Elisa just shushed him and put on a smile, lying through her teeth. She brushed three times that night and gargled with mouthwash twice to boot. Now that she thought about it, she should have flossed too. Deception liked to hide in the tiny cracks in between the molars, after all.

But that night she went to sleep dreaming of her and Goliath flying through the stars again, him holding her tightly and saying "I never noticed how beautiful you are" over and over again, like a tape stuck on repeat. Then he would look at her, happy and regret-free. Everything was perfect. So what if she was a gargoyle? So what if she could never see the sun again? It was worth it considering who she could spend her nights with. And if you asked her, a moonlit fly under the sparkling stars was much nicer than conversing with stone in the heat of the afternoon.

But that was just a fantasy, some moronic thought gone awry. Goliath not only had more of his species he could choose from, but different mutations of his species. And besides, Goliath had already had a mate once, and not just any mate- Demona. She was strong, smart and confident, not to mention beautiful. And she was a gargoyle. She was also evil, but she hadn't always been that way. And she knew Goliath remembered those times too, when he would get a sad kind of far-off look in his eyes.

How could she ever compete with all of that? There was no way Goliath could ever feel the same way. She knew that. Every time it seemed like they were getting closer, he would pull back. Why? Was it because she was human, or did she herself repulse him? Was it because she was so small and petite compared to him? She knew she wasn't as strong, and that she couldn't fly, and that she certainly wasn't as tall, not by a long shot, but was that so bad? Didn't a lot of guys like being bigger than their partners? But maybe Goliath liked his women to be almost as tall as him, not two feet shorter. And of the same species. Damn.

What happened to Happily Ever After? Where were the dwarfs and mice to help her get to that point? And wasn't the Prince supposed to like her beforehand? What kind of twisted fairy tale _was_ this? Since when did a girl only get the evil witch? Wasn't there some cosmic rule that said evil had to be balanced out by good? In reality, there was the fire department and her jurisdiction, the police. And of course the Gargoyles were behind the scenes, helping to smooth out whatever they could.

Why was life so unfair? Why couldn't she get a break, just once? Why couldn't Goliath love her?

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><p>He was so corrupt. To think such things about Elisa, an innocent woman who had only tried to help others for as long as he had known her. To think about things only decent to be thought about in privacy, and about a person as pure as Elisa was depraved. She was brave, brilliant, charming and funny. Add that to the fact that she was an absolute goddess, and it all equaled to a woman like no other.<p>

A woman he couldn't have. Didn't deserve, if he was being truthful. And he tried to be truthful, not only with others, but with himself as well. No matter how much it hurt.

He knew she cared for him, and he cared for her too; but they could never be together. Something would go wrong. He would hurt her somehow; physically or emotionally. He was bigger and stronger than her, and he didn't know how to control that strength- not always. When it came to protecting Elisa, he seemed to lose his temper very easily. He would see someone hurt her, and that's when he would lose it.

With other people, sometimes it was as if he were watching, feeling, from a distance. He would hear himself roar, but it was as if he was underwater. As if he were a far distance away and everything was muted.

But not with Elisa. With her everything was raw and vivid. He could see every detail as if it were forever etched into his mind's eye. Later when he would reflect on it, the emotions would come rushing back, still just as powerful as the moment he initially felt them. He would fight to control his anger, struggling internally. _Calm down. Elisa is safe now,_ he would repeat to himself. Over and over again until he could feel his anger abate slowly, bit by bit.

He had never felt this way before, not this badly. He certainly felt protective over Angela, but not this way. With Angela he felt concerned and worried. He was a bit on edge when the other, younger gargoyles started to get too close for (his) comfort, but that was normal. She was his daughter, even if it had taken him a while to accept it. But now that he had, he embraced the role of Father with a passion.

He felt protective of his clan, but they were his friends, his family. They were his responsibility, and he would be deeply hurt if even one of them were taken away from him. They had been together throughout the disaster that had happened all those centuries ago, and when all others had perished, they alone had survived. So he wasn't eager to lose one of his clan mates.

But Elisa was different. He felt protective of her, but it was more of a possessive protectiveness. He wanted her to be his, not just for a little while, but forever. He wanted to wake from his stone sleep and see her, outlined by the midnight sky and bright stars. He wanted to snatch her up and fly with her until they were forced to land from the sun's looming threat. He wanted to walk with her, and eat his meals with her.

He wanted to make her his. He wanted to mark her for the entire world to see. So that everyone would know that she was his mate, that she belonged to him. He wanted every other male out there, gargoyle or otherwise, to see her and know that she was off limits, that she was his. He wanted to be able to roar to the world that Elisa Maza, the most amazing woman known to walk the Earth, was his woman, his mate, his.

It was ludicrous, really. He had tried to love another, had loved another, but it still wasn't enough in the end. And now Demona haunted him, taunting him. No matter how he tried to help her, she still scorned him. How had he let this happen? And now he had fallen in love with another. With Elisa, a human, whom Demona hated.

When had things gotten so complicated? He supposed the moment he dived off the roof of the castle to save her. But what else could he have done? Let her die? She was not at fault. Elisa was only doing what her job required of her, as he would have wanted her to do. And he was glad he had met her, for she had proved to be an invaluable and irreplaceable friend.

But that was where the problem lie; Elisa was fast becoming more than a friend. And he wanted her to be more than a friend. Much more.

But he just didn't see how that was possible. She was too perfect. He wanted to be with her, so much, but he wouldn't risk her because of that selfish desire. Wouldn't risk her.

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><p>Hudson watched as the TV blared the great benefits of some useless hair product again, but he wasn't listening. He was thinking. Not very hard, but not just pondering it either. He was engaging in the kind of thinking that starts out with a thought, an idea. And this thought, this idea, meandered around in Hudson's brain, growing in size and importance until Hudson was completely absorbed in his own mind. Now this thought was completely an idea and it was rapidly forming into a plan.<p>

Hudson had watched his apprentice mature into the great leader he was today. He had also watched Demona morph into the monster she currently was. He watched her rip Goliath's heart in two and he watched her dance on the pieces.

And then he watched as Goliath was saved by an angel in the guise of one Ms. Elisa Maza. He observed as they laughed and argued, fought and made up. He discreetly examined them interacting with each other, like one would watch two animals. He saw as they grew closer together, became more comfortable with each other.

But then he watched them start to hesitate, start to _think._ And now they tiptoed around each other, and sent questioning looks at the other, only to have them answered by confused ones.

Hudson knew that they loved each other. But every time they came close to telling the other as much, something came up that prevented it. Whether it was that they thought they weren't good enough, or that one thought they would hurt the other some way. It was ridiculous.

And it was time for an intervention. Though Puck was a troublemaking little son of a pixie, he might have been on to something when he turned everything upside down. He heard Goliath and Elisa that night, before they all turned to stone. Heard the emotion in their voices, heard the lie. Neither of them were glad the other was back to normal. If anything, they were all the more upset because of it. Maybe Hudson just needed to summon the little bugger back to mess everything up again.

But he couldn't do that. There was no controlling Puck when he got in one of his moods. Actually, there was no controlling Puck at all. So that was really a moot point anyway.

But no matter how you looked at it, something had to be done. He knew from watching Lucy and her friend Ethel, and occasionally The Waltons, that when someone meddled for the good of someone else, it always turned out the way it would've been if the two stone-brains involved hadn't muddled everything up and forced the unavoidable meddling on themselves. Of course, things usually became even more tangled when said person first meddled, but then everything worked out.

It probably wouldn't be easy, considering how headstrong and stubborn both Elisa and Goliath were, but then again, Bronx could use the exercise.

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><p>Well alrighty! That wasn't so bad, I suppose. Don't know exactly how I'm going to continue this from here, but I'll figure it out...eventually. So, tell me how I did, and if you think I should continue this particular fanfic or not. And, as always, reviews make me happy! :)<p> 


	2. An old man and his dog

**Hello! I'm so happy! My story got reviewed! And they were good and happy reviews! I logged on, thinking it was a normal morning, and then I saw all the wonderful reviews! Now I'm on cloud nine! I love all you guys so much! And so, in celebration of the _cause_ of all this excitement, I personally thank the people who just made my day;**

**Anonymous Chibi, domitian, Andi88, Breitve and 3CG.**

**And, to really get across how happy I am, I also thanked you on my FFN profile page. Thank you so much! Again!**

**Now I hope I just don't disappoint you guys with this chapter. But please, don't stop reviewing! I know that it took a while to get this next installment out, but I am unfortunately both blessed and cursed (mostly cursed) with being a perfectionist. Ah, well! Here it is, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer; I *sniffle* own nothing- there! I said it, are you happy, you voltures? ;)**

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><p>Elisa opened the door, glad to be out of the rain coming down outside. At least it was supposed to quit soon- a quick shower, promised the weatherman. So at least there was some good news. But there wasn't much more where that came from.<p>

Elisa plopped down on the couch, arms and legs hanging recklessly over the sides. What a night, what a night. She had just gotten back from the office and a stack of paperwork big enough to keep a gargoyle occupied. She hated paperwork.

And, to make things worse, her apartment was bare of chocolaty sweets she could console herself with. The upside was she could go see Goliath in a few hours.

_And the rest of the clan,_ she hastily reminded herself. _And the rest of the clan._

She turned the TV on and flipped through the channels. The only thing on was romantic comedies. It figured. The one point in her life where she was single, all that the television studios could find to put on the air was a bunch of stories about sappy lovers. Stupid, doe-eyed, sappy lovers.

She wanted to be a sappy lover, wanted to_ have_ a sappy lover. It was so frustrating.

Elisa watched as the woman on the screen forged a note from the favored suitor and sent flowers to her own granddaughter. How ridiculous. She shook her head, smiling.

As if that sort of thing happened in real life.

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><p>"Got all that?" Hudson smiled as the blue giant growled and wagged his tail. It seemed as if Bronx was enjoying this as much as he was.<p>

Not only had he come up with the perfect plan to bring Elisa and Goliath together, but he also had an undercover agent.

It was almost too easy. He had spent three days researching the perfect strategy and scoping out his targets. Now, he was ready to put his plan in action. In ten minutes, Elisa would walk in with more food, books, toys, gadgets and just about everything else imaginable.

Phase One was simple. He would let them get settled, acting as if he didn't care, and go through the usual routine; sitting in his comfy chair, watching TV, making sure none of the hatchlings got too rowdy with each other…the usual.

Then Bronx would commence Phase Two of their operation (he had yet to come up with a good name) by whining and slightly tugging at Hudson's hand. He would, being the knowledgeable and talented actor that he had become from watching TV shows, then sigh and say he was too old and tired tonight- maybe tomorrow.

Dejected and forlorn, Bronx, who had also become quite the performer himself, would whimper and moan a bit for dramatic effect.

Elisa, being the concerned and caring person that she was, would then unknowingly set into motion Phase Three by asking what was wrong with Bronx. Hudson would exhale heavily and tell her that he simply wanted to go on a walk in the park, like they had watched on many a program. The "problem" was, Hudson was feeling a little run down and didn't think he could make it tonight. Poor thing, he would say as he patted the crestfallen creature. And Bronx had been so looking forward to it.

His sad words would ignite a spark of pity in Elisa, and she would undoubtedly offer to walk Bronx herself, as Central Park was usually deserted this time of night. Regrettably, Hudson had to decline her offer. How would she _get_ Bronx to the park? Though the grounds might be deserted, the streets of New York City were most certainly not. Whether it was homeless drought of their fair city, or insomniac pedestrians, there was always _someone_ up and about.

Besides that, even if she did somehow manage to get Bronx there without incident, he had been cooped up so long, and he was so excited, he might forget himself and run off. Elisa could lose him, or worse- could hurt herself trying to find him. It was unlikely, he would say, but possible nonetheless.

And, to make matters worse (and bring two certain individuals together), she would be alone in the dark of night, with only Bronx to protect her. What if she had multiple attackers?

Maybe if she had someone to go with her, he would feel better about it, but who would go?

Goliath, if Hudson knew him (and he definitely did), would volunteer, thus activating the final and best part of the plan- Phase Four.

From there on, it would be (insert audience laughter) a regular _walk in the park!_

If only Lucy could see him now, how proud she and Ethel would be! How impressed they would be! And he hadn't even _thought_ about what the Walton's reactions might be like! Life was good all around, and for Goliath and Elisa, it was about to get better.

He looked outside, and smiled. The downpour had stopped a good ten minutes ago, if not more, and the air smelled of clean rain, a soothing fragrance. All the sidewalks were washed clean and Hudson would bet his right wing that Central Park was beautiful. The trees and grass were sparkling with dewdrops, and the night sky was a dark, romantic canvas stretched across the sky.

Ah, he really had outdone himself this time.

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><p>Elisa smiled. This really was nice- just her, Goliath and Bronx. They were (almost) like a real couple taking their (semi-) normal dog for a walk.<p>

Well, they were walking. Bronx was running around disturbing squirrels, snapping at pigeons and splashing in the puddles. Two out of three wasn't bad though, considering.

As they walked through the grass, they had wandered off the actual path sometime or another, Elisa reflected about the events that had led to this moment.

Poor Hudson had looked so downcast about not being able to take Bronx out; she had just had to offer to do it herself.

And the really sweet thing was, even in all his disappointment, Hudson had still been concerned for her well-being. He had had a valid point, several really, and Elisa couldn't have argued with him. She had such a big soft-spot for the gargoyles, and Hudson was such a gentle old warrior; she really hated not being able to do anything.

Thank goodness Goliath had been there. He really was a hero, offering to do such a mundane thing as walking a dog with her. She guessed he hadn't wanted to strain Hudson either- after all, the grandfatherly gargoyle was getting on in his years. She just wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to him.

A loud crash suddenly jerked her out of her musings. She whipped her head around, alert for a danger of any sort, and saw Bronx running around what was left of the intricate bird bath/fountain. Her legs almost gave out from relief and amusement. Elisa placed a hand over her mouth, stifling her giggles.

Goliath seemed to have a different opinion. He frowned at Bronx and hurried over, chiding the gentle giant for trying to hurt the birds and destroying public property. Bronx sheepishly hung his head and shuffled his paws.

Thinking the fanged pet had gotten the message, and was sorry for what he'd done, Elisa walked over and placed a hand on Goliath's arm, effectively stopping him mid-lecture.

He looked at her, back at Bronx, and then back to her.

"C'mon Goliath, give him a break. He got excited and knocked it over- in all honesty it's not that big a deal. And he really _is _sorry." Elisa pleaded with him. "From now on we'll just keep a closer eye on him."

He grinned at her and sighed. "You are right, of course. But I cannot help but be upset by this. We are supposed to be protecting this city, our new home, but instead sometimes it seems like we do more harm than good." By the end of the sentence his shoulders were slumped and he had _that_ look on his face again.

The look that said he was thinking about Demona. About his humans friends that betrayed them and his clan. About all the people he couldn't save, those who had gotten away, innocents hurt. The endangerment of his clan, the pain of knowing if he'd done something different, just changed one little thing, then maybe everything would've come out different.

Elisa knew these moments hung heavily on his mind, and that oftentimes he blamed himself for things out of his control.

She wished she could help, but she'd seen similar looks on her parent's faces, from time to time, though not so heavily set, and not so concentrated.

Either way, there was nothing she could do to help him. Nothing but assure him that she would always be here if he needed her.

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><p>Bronx saw Elisa put her hand on Goliath's arm. He turned his head to the side. They were sad, he knew that much.<p>

Bronx wasn't stupid. He wasn't the smartest, but he wasn't like those other dogs. Their basic instincts were the same- chasing birds, playing with his gargoyles, digging- but that was it.

Those other dogs enjoyed doing the same thing over and over again, endlessly. They acted the same, too. Wagging tail and drooling mouths with their ears perked up and prancing around.

And they took a mysterious joy in peeing on the human's fire hydrants.

That wasn't the only difference, though. They all were covered in fur, like the hair on his gargoyles. They had no ridges on them, no tough body leather to protect themselves, and their claws were dulled and worn down.

They were strange creatures, but the strangest thing of all was their emptiness. Empty eyes, glassed over and blank. Bronx had seen a commercial once, when Hudson had gotten up to settle a fight between Broadway and Lexington.

The dogs and cats had been abused and the humans had rescued them. Now the humans were looking for good homes for the animals. That was great, but he had still seen the scars. And the way they cowered away from the camera. It was horrible.

And a few weeks ago he had seen that very abuse himself. A man and a dog were walking at night below the clock tower and the dog had crossed in front of the man to sniff a section of the street. The man tripped and said things- bad things like the criminals Elisa took away said.

Then the man kicked the dog in its side and yelled at it- he called it a stupid mutt, Bronx recalled. The dog whined and curled in on itself, tucking its tail between its legs.

Bronx had growled from his perch and leaned forward menacingly, though there was nothing he could do.

Eventually the man tired of screaming at the cowering animal and yanked on its leash, dragging the dog away while still muttering obscenities at it.

But at least he knew there were good humans in this world, ones like Matt and Elisa Maza, for whom he was very grateful. Especially humans like Elisa Maza; not only did she put the bad people in jail, but she also accepted difference. She accepted them.

And she slipped him an occasional chew bone, from time to time…

But Bronx knew that there were bad gargoyles out there, too. Demona was one of them now, even though she hadn't always been. Bronx remembered when she and Goliath had loved each other, and while she wasn't exactly always friendly towards him, she had never harmed him before. Or any of the clan.

But that had changed. He had heard her mumbling to herself on occasion, talking about Hudson being old, and Goliath needing to become leader already. But that wasn't really anything new- she had always been impatient. With the humans, with the other gargoyles, even with the hatchlings at times, though not as much.

Now that he thought back on it, what really made him growl was her readiness to dismiss Hudson. Over the years, they had bonded. He had always been patient with Bronx, taken him out on walks or flights, scratched his ears and petted him. Now they were companions, not like those other dogs, but like a friend. A best friend.

And Hudson had proved he thought as much, too, when he had explained his plan to Bronx. He knew Bronx would understand, and Bronx had. He thought it was brilliant. He expressed as much to Hudson.

Bronx had seen Elisa and Goliath around each other, and he could tell they liked each other. He could also smell it.

The problem was, attraction wasn't the only thing he smelled between the two. There was fear, and excitement, but mostly fear.

Or, to put it more accurately, there was as much fear as there was attraction. Maybe there was a bit more attraction, but Bronx couldn't quite tell. It was more an observation from watching the two together. Like when Elisa had put her hand on Goliath's arm and asked him to "give Bronx a break". And Goliath had listened to her, he usually did (which was another thing Bronx had noticed), and then they had become sad.

Hudson hadn't counted on this happening, it wasn't part of the plan; but Bronx could improvise. He'd watched Hudson's shows with the old gargoyle, after all. His "partner in crime" as Elisa would fondly call them sometimes.

So he knew what was required of him now; action.

He tensed his body in anticipation and started to run around Goliath and Elisa, jumping up erratically and barking loudly.

Surprised at his outburst, Elisa burst out laughing and took an involuntary step back, bumping into Goliath who, just as startled as she, was also chuckling.

They looked at each other, and then laughed all the harder. That was a good start, but they weren't quite close enough yet…

Bronx grinned and charged again, slightly knocking against Elisa's leg. This time, her leg buckled and she fell towards the ground, twisting to land on her hands and hip.

With a surprised grunt Goliath lunged to catch Elisa, snatching her into his chest as he righted himself. He frantically checked her, patting her on her arms and bending down to look in her eyes.

They were distracted- another chance for intervention!

Bronx circled around them slowly, so he wouldn't catch their attention, and rolled his shoulders. He focused on Goliath's back, thinking about the National Geographic Special he and Hudson had watched on wolves.

He pounced on the spot just between Goliath's wings and heaved backward.

Goliath and Elisa staggered backward, arms pin-wheeling and legs tangling together as they fell- Goliath on the ground and Elisa on Goliath.

And suddenly Elisa was screaming and Goliath was yelling and there was total chaos; too much for Bronx to register all at once.

But he did see Goliath covering Elisa and both of them falling, twisting. They were panicking and surprised and the smells almost overwhelmed him and his senses went into such an overdrive it was almost painful, but he could still see them tumbling towards the grass.

But suddenly he saw it wasn't grass but a puddle and then it was too late because they couldn't stop and they were still yelling and screaming and then Bronx turned his head to the side to avoid the splash that drenched all of them and soaked at least a three-foot perimeter around the trio.

At least no one was screaming anymore.

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><p>Goliath could've just killed Bronx. Thinking back on it, he was almost amazed that he didn't. The only reason being that Elisa hadn't gotten hurt.<p>

He, on the other hand, was a whole different story. He'd nearly had a heart attack when he saw Elisa in her wet clothes. Her wet, clingy clothes. Her wet, clingy, _wonderful_ clothes.

And he was pretty sure his brain was still suffering from a lack of oxygen, courtesy of flying Elisa back home to her apartment. Jalepena, he still couldn't forget the feel of her body, pressed against his; the only thing separating then being a thin layer of wet clothing. To make matters worse, it had been warm out after the rainstorm; ergo, Elisa had worn something light.

A white cotton shirt and her jeans, to be exact. Now Goliath knew first-hand what happened when a white cotton shirt got wet. Very, very wet.

Now he was back at the park, picking up Bronx and obstinately not speaking to said animal, even though he was whining and pawing at Goliath. He refused to respond; what Bronx had done was wrong, and the gargoyle knew it.

But what Goliath didn't know was _why _Bronx had done it. He usually was so calm and even-tempered. Even when he was excited, he didn't hurt anyone. And he certainly didn't push or drag people, and into a huge puddle at that. It was all very unsettling, in Goliath's mind. Maybe he had gotten into some garbage while he and Elisa were talking. They did tend to get lost in their own little world when it was just the two of them, even if they didn't realize it at times.

All of a sudden, Bronx started wriggling and barking wildly. He struggled to hold onto the giant beast, but was just managing.

What was wrong with him _now?_

Goliath yelled hoarsely and nearly dropped Bronx- the cursed animal just wouldn't hold still!

He grappled with Bronx, the former trying to hold on, the latter trying to frantically escape. Goliath grabbed his midsection and tried to hold tightly, but Bronx was squirming like his life depended on it.

Suddenly both plunged towards the ground- Goliath had turned when trying to contain Bronx and unwittingly shifted his wings, losing the updraft.

They plummeted towards the ground, Goliath managing to right himself just a few meters before impact, but it was still too late; Bronx had managed to jump out of Goliath's arms and onto the ground below, hitting the pavement at a dead run.

Goliath almost swore, he was so angry. First the incident in the park and now this. Just what he needed right now- another workout.

Nevertheless, he took off after Bronx, desperately trying to catch up to him. The animal didn't even seem to have a destination; he was running through alleyways and darting across streets, just scrambling randomly in the opposite direction they'd come from.

Goliath swerved to avoid running into a protruding flowerbox sticking out from one of the apartments, and then something clicked; he'd been past those wilting daisies before. The only difference was that he wasn't usually flying _past_ it- he was usually flying _above_ it. Every night when he flew Elisa back to her home after their nightly meeting with the rest of the clan at their clock tower, to be exact.

And then it clicked- Elisa must be in trouble! Bronx must have sensed it and tried to go to her! And like a fool, Goliath had tried to stop him, tried to hold him back.

What if someone had broken into her apartment? What if he didn't get there in time, and she was hurt? It would kill him if she got hurt again- when Broadway had accidently shot Elisa with her own gun, all he could think about was finding the perpetrator and making him pay for what he'd done.

Of course, that was before he'd found out it was an accident, and by the hands of one of his clan. He'd wanted to chide Broadway about what he'd done, but Broadway had enough guilt of his own without Goliath adding to it.

All this raced through his mind in a matter of seconds as he sped towards her apartment. What if something happened to her? What if she was hurt? Dear God, not her- anyone but her…

Five minutes later Goliath and Bronx were at Elisa's door, panting and quivering with exertion.

He lifted his hand to knock on the door, and immediately froze when he heard a crash from inside the apartment, followed by a scream.

Not thinking about anything but Elisa and nearly crazed with worry and fear, Goliath smashed down the door and ran into the dimly-lit living room, only to screech to a halt at the sight before him.

There was a guilty-looking Cagney on the table, shuffling his paws. There was a smashed lamp on the floor. There was an equally stunned Elisa staring back at him.

An equally stunned Elisa staring back at him wearing only a pair of flannel pajama pants and a lacy red bra.

* * *

><p>Dear God, but she couldn't make her legs move for the life of her. And if her heart kept beating as hard as it was right now, that would probably be about another ten minutes. Fifteen, at best.<p>

Goliath opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was a strangled sound. She could relate, staring at him. His skin was glistening with sweat drops and his breathing sounded almost labored. But then again, maybe that wasn't from the fly over, considering the positions they were in right now…

Good grief, even Bronx was looking away, and Cagney had left the room after Goliath stepped inside.

Suddenly she had a flashback of when she was sixteen, and going through her rebellious stage. She'd invited a boyfriend over and they had gone in her room. What started out as some harmless flirting had later led to a serious snogging session, which her mother had accidently walked in on after finding Elisa's coat flung carelessly on the floor.

She'd hit the roof, called the boy's parents and then grounded her for two months.

She'd probably faint if she came in on this scene. Elisa was about to faint herself. But she hadn't fainted yet, just gotten caught in some alternate reality where time stopped.

He was still staring at her.

* * *

><p>Hudson smiled and patted Bronx's head. Tonight had been a very big night indeed.<p>

Goliath had come storming through the tower, and nearly thrown Bronx away from him. He also had a very heated blush staining his face, which he loudly said he _didn't _want to talk about, when Lexington had tentatively started to pose a question.

_The_ question, actually, seeing as all of the gargoyles were wondering what had happened. They knew it started out as a walk, but Goliath had come home not only soaked to the bone, but with embarrassment written all over his face.

Telling the younger gargoyles not to worry about him, Hudson turned back to the TV and started to scratch between Bronx's ears as the troublemaker told Hudson all that's happened that night, starting with the birdbath and ending with Elisa and Goliath's little rendezvous.

Hudson had been laughing so hard that tears nearly rolled down his cheeks by the time Bronx finished his story.

That little hoodlum. Who would've thought that Bronx could be so brilliant? Hudson would like to meet the dog's parents and inform them they'd given birth to a genius.

But really, it was the perfect plan; not only had they bonded, they'd been forced to realize how strong their feelings were for each other. Granted, mortifying both Goliath and Elisa probably wasn't the best way to do it, but he and Bronx alike had been forced to take desperate measures! They'd brought this on themselves.

A woman of Elisa's caliber and a man of Goliath's stature, _not_ getting involved with one another? It was unheard of! It was a crime against all that was set in stone! Against Mother Nature herself!

So what if they couldn't have kids- they'd already found out there were other gargoyles in this world, many of whom were ready and willing to have more eggs.

Besides, if they did manage to conceive a child, would it be so bad if it were a mutant, half gargoyle-half human child? It's not like they'd be hurting the gene pool; it was already messed up to begin with. Quite the opposite, in Hudson's opinion. They'd be _improving _it! And the gene pool of this day and age needed that improvement!

If this kept up, he'd be a great-grandfather in no time, so to speak.

Of course, there was always the problem of Elisa and Goliath finding out what he was up to, but he didn't think that would happen.

After all, he was just a senile old gargoyle, who barely had the energy to walk his dog anymore. A gentle old man, with nothing to do all night but watch the hatchlings and the telly. An old man who enjoyed spending warm nights curled up in his rocking chair and patting his dog.

And if he secretly hatched plots to bring two certain people together, that was no one's knowledge but his own. His own, and his faithful friend's, of course.

After all, all is fair in love and war.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there it is; my second chapter. If you like it, you can also thank my Uncle Billy for helping my to think of the idea that spawned this piece of work. <strong>

**As always, thank you to all who review, and to those of you who read and _don't_ review; I curse you, I curse you with spiders in your bed! ;)**


	3. The Surprise

**Here it is, at last! The third chapter! I was so glad when I read the amazing reviews from all the different people! All the Story Alerts I was added to, all the reviews- it was almost too much! I know it took really, **_**really**_** long to get out, and I'm really, **_**really**_** sorry for that.**

**Again, I hope I don't disappoint with this chapter, as it was slightly hard to think of something, not quite as drastic as the last chapter, but still humorous and kind of diabolical. I don't know if I totally got it, but let me know if it was still acceptable. Oh, and ideas for the next chapter are **_**greatly **_**appreciated. **_**Greatly.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TV show Gargoyles in any way, shape or form. Unfortunate for me, but probably fortunate for the gargoyles, since they probably would've been embarrassed seeing Goliath and Elisa smooching all the time.**

* * *

><p>Goliath was mortified, to say the least. He'd seen Elisa- in her <em>undergarments!<em> But the worst part of it was that he couldn't stop thinking about it. About her. Which was despicable in his mind. He shouldn't be imagining it again and again, he should be mentally bleaching his mind, making sure that particular memory never saw the light of conscious thought again. Ever.

The problem was, the sight of her, damp hair still sticking to her flushed skin, was branded to the back of his eyelids and the surface of his brain. He closed his eyes, he saw her. He opened his eyes, he saw her. It was getting ridiculous, and it needed to stop, but he didn't want it to stop. Even though he did. Did that make sense?

He didn't know. His life had taken a radical for the nonsensical lately. He didn't know what had spurned this chain of events, but it had come with a vengeance.

He wondered if Elisa felt the same way; after all, she was the pinpoint of all this. It was her who had been caught when she wasn't decent. It had been her who had been embarrassed the most. It had been her who had been the object of his stare. His surprised stare. His intense stare. His not-looking-away-because-I-can't stare. He honestly wouldn't have blamed her if she'd marched up and slapped him across the face. Granted, she might not've been able to reach his face, but the intent would have still been there.

But Elisa would have never done such a thing, no matter how justified. She was much too dignified and level-headed. Not to mention sweet. But Goliath never underestimated her fierceness either; she could be brutal when it came to people who endangered others for their own gain. Like Dracon.

It had been two days, and she still hadn't come to the clock tower. The others had been assuming that she was just busy with her police and detective work, but he knew better. So did Hudson, now. He'd told his former mentor the next day, after Elisa became a no-show. He needed advice; he needed someone to lead him in this time of confusion. Hudson had come through, like he always did and always would, and told Goliath to just apologize as soon as possible. Elisa and Goliath had a bond, forged through an unbreakable friendship and numerous adventures and hardships. So Hudson had said. These past few months, though, something had subtly shifted between him and Elisa, and he wasn't quite sure what had caused it or what it was exactly about them that had changed.

Maybe it was the nature of the friendship; had it grown into something more without either of them noticing? Or perhaps it was how they had started interacting; they were more gentle and protective of each other (or he was, at least). And then there was the surges of possessiveness he felt, and the tightening in his chest when he saw her. There were some other noticeable changes that had been happening (_very_ noticeable), but he chose not to dwell on those. It was inappropriate. To say the least.

But how could he say sorry to her when she was avoiding him? He couldn't very well follow her around all day and corner her somewhere- besides that, he wouldn't do that to her. Wouldn't want to. It was barbaric and he shouldn't push her to accept his apology, lest he just make her even angrier.

He could always wait for Elisa to come to him, but he didn't want her to think that he didn't care enough to try and apologize.

A third option would be to try and ignore it and see if it went away. But he didn't want it to seem like he didn't like her, or was repulsed by the sight of her that way. That _definitely_ was not the problem. But he also didn't want Elisa to think he didn't want to acknowledge it and seem negligent or careless.

Goliath was just at a loss. He didn't know what to do; no matter what course of action he took, it seemed like he was doing something wrong, or was going to give her the wrong impression. Or worse, hurt her.

He should ask Hudson again! Hudson would know what to do, and he had been so helpful these past few days…

* * *

><p>It was the perfect setup. Goliath was in distress, Elisa was at a loss, and he had the solution. This was going wonderfully, just like he planned it. They were spending more time together, and although they had gotten themselves in an awkward situation fairly early on, he was ready for any and all twists that might occur. He hadn't exactly anticipated Goliath seeing Elisa in her bra, but it did propose an opportunity "most timely and unique" (Bronx had loved the evil general in <em>Avatar, <em>but Hudson was more particular to the coarse scientist).

Not only would he bring them together, he would force them to confront their feelings. Something that was urgent enough to get them together, even if it would be uncomfortable. Something that would involve being near to each other, interacting. It would require quick thinking, and some extreme yet subtle meddling, but he was fairly sure he could pull it off.

With Bronx by his side, he _knew_ he could pull it off. And, of course, he also had the younger gargoyles, though they didn't know they were helping him. But, ironically, they were helping him by _not_ knowing they were helping him. Their innocence was the perfect weapon, because both sides were unwittingly part of Hudson's Master Plan.

A way to bring them together, that was easy. There were infinite possibilities, but the problem was finding a solution that was so desperate, it would override their inevitable shyness towards each other. An important event, perhaps? A dangerous situation?

Urgent, urgent, he needed _urgent!_ He needed something big, something enormous and looming. He needed the critical from the situation to merge with the softness they felt for each other and form the perfect atmosphere. Something pressing, but not too pressing that the alarm would overpower the charm.

He was still pondering what kind of situation had all the requirements, when the center of his very musings walked over to him, with a somewhat hesitant expression. He looked like he was a hatchling again. The power of love, Hudson mused silently.

He looked up as Goliath walked closer, and held up a hand silently. He nodded his head towards the balcony and ledge outside and motioned for Goliath to follow as he heaved himself out of his comfy chair. At this point, Goliath didn't need the "You're the leader, have confidence in what you do." speech; he needed a fatherly figure. Someone who could truly help him. Someone to tell _him_ what to do.

They walked outside in silence, Goliath brooding and Hudson expectant. This sort of thing couldn't be rushed. Goliath would tell him, or ask him, what he wanted to, all in due time. If Hudson urged him to hurry, Goliath might feel as if he didn't want to be there. Which was the exact opposite of how he was feeling, at the moment; he was quite curious to see what was bothering his "son". He'd already asked about what to do after Elisa started avoiding him. Hudson told him to apologize; what else could he do? If he did anything but, he risked angering Elisa, which was _never_ a good idea.

"Hudson, I need- that is to say, I would appreciate-if you could help me…how do I say this? You know many things, and I- no, that's not it. Elisa and I, we…I need to-I have to…you see, she hasn't been here, and I can't, I mean, it's impossible of course! Have you ever, how did Lexington say this? Perhaps you, and a lady friend-yes, that was it- had a misunderstanding, or- not that you do! Hypothetically, I mean, _if _you did, and that happened- would you… how would one go about- UGH!" Goliath threw up his hands in frustration.

Hudson had to restrain himself from laughing; so that was it. He wanted to know _how_ to apologize to Elisa. No wonder the poor lad had been wringing his hands and pacing around the castle all night. If Hudson had a "falling out" with a "lady friend", he'd be upset as well. And justifiably so, if he'd felt the same as Goliath did about Elisa, and she him. All that rambling proved that this was a sore subject for Goliath. Understandable, since his last relationship, meaning Demona, hadn't gone…smoothly, for lack of a better word.

Goliath was staring at him anxiously. How could he assure Goliath that he would be able to say sorry to Elisa very soon, without revealing his hand? This was a delicate matter, with which three steps were associated;

Reassurance, advice, and encouragement.

Reassurance. "Do not fash, lad; ye'll get yer chance. She cannot stay away forever. She'll come around soon enough. The lass wants closure, and possible an explanation as much as you. That much is a guarantee. And I'll be there with you, every step o' the way."

Advice. "When Elisa does visit again, talk to her. Tell her you're sorry. Make her realize how much regret you have. The lass is bound to realize that ye are telling the truth; she's quick-witted, that one is. It'll be a wee bit awkward between the two of you for a bit, but that'll go away soon enough."

Encouragement. "Ev'rything will be fine, ye'll see. Just be yourself, and that'll be more than enough to convince her. You two are connected, whether ye like it or not. Remember that, lad, and try not to offend the bonnie lass, as she's bound to be touchy. But being yerself is the main thing to do, aye. Definitely the main thing."

There. That should do it. It was a rather rousing speech, if he did say so himself. Goliath looked reassured, at least. That was good. After all, this whole thing was about him. Him, and Elisa. How they handled this would be a big factor in the resulting feelings.

If Elisa thought Goliath was repulsed by her body, not only would she become self-conscious, she might start to push those she cared about away as a by-product of her doubts. Or worse, she could become angry, and then cut off the relationship altogether. That would sabotage her friendship with the other gargoyles. Not only that, but if they started fighting, it might compel the young ones to take sides, and a family divided wasn't really a family at all, now was it? And if that happened, and they got over it, it would always leave a lingering impression. That was even worse, to have something hanging over your head, constantly causing you to second-guess yourself.

This was going to be more difficult than he'd anticipated. He needed ideas, and inspiration. Back to the TV it was, then.

* * *

><p>She couldn't believe it. Goliath had seen her- in her bra! That was practically half-naked! So Goliath had seen her practically half-naked! She might as well crawl into a hole and hide for the next, oh, <em>hundred<em> years. Check that, the next two hundred years; after all, Goliath was very sturdy, from what she could tell. Not that she could _really_ tell, since the only time she ever touched him was when he flew her home.

Well, that wasn't necessarily true, but the other times had been accidents…for the most part. There were some deliberate touches, but they hadn't been, say, _romantic_ touches. They were friendly touches, innocent touches. Nothing to get excited over.

And neither was this. This was an accident, she was sure of it. There was no way that Goliath could've known that the first thing she planned to do when she got home was strip down and take a shower. There was just no way. It wasn't possible. So it was an accident. He hadn't meant to barge in, he hadn't meant to catch her almost naked, he hadn't meant to stare.

It was all an involuntary reaction. That was all. But, she couldn't help but have some lingering doubts. Goliath had stared an awful long time before coming to his senses and turning his head away. He'd started to say something, and then cut off, stumbling over his words and choking out incomprehensible sentences and garbled sounds.

Finally, after he stumbled out her door, he'd picked up Bronx and taken off without so much as a backward glance. And she would know; she'd watched him fly away, just in case. But no, he didn't even _start_ to look back. The only thing that she noticed was that he was unsteady when he was flying home.

She hadn't tried to see him since. She knew it wasn't fair to the other guys, but she couldn't face him. Not yet. She still didn't know what she would say, though God knew it was all she'd been thinking about. Why hadn't he tried to get in touch with _her_? Did he not want to see her?

Oh no, what if she'd driven him off? Was the sight of her body so nauseating to him that he couldn't even look at her anymore? That was probably it. Because her body was human, instead of his precious gargoyle skin. After all, he'd fallen in love with Demona, even though she was pure evil. And what's more, he'd tried to reunite with her even after she'd tried to kill him. All because she was a gargoyle, and because she was the only one that could give Goliath more children, produce more eggs.

That wasn't such a rare quality; plenty of animals laid eggs, and almost every_thing_ could have _babies_, even she could do that. Not like it mattered, since she wasn't a gargoyle. The only time he'd ever considered putting his sperm in her body was probably when Puck had turned her into a gargoyle. He'd said she was beautiful. He'd given her _that look_. The look he used to give Demona. But the minute, no, _second_ she'd become human again that look had vanished. As had the possibility of them making a family together. That was what Goliath had been thinking, she just knew it. He'd probably been thinking something like 'It's too bad Elisa is a human again, now we can't ever get married or have children. Oh well, maybe I'll just go and find Demona again'. Okay, maybe that wasn't_ exactly_ how he'd thought, but she would bet it was pretty darn close.

She was probably horrifyingly ugly compared to a gargoyle female. She didn't have claws, or ridges, or a tail, or wings, or hard skin, or horns, or anything like that. She didn't even have hard skin; hers was all soft and squishy. Like pudding. She had pudding skin. Great, just great.

Somewhere in her mind, Elisa realized she was behaving childishly, but she didn't care. She wanted to be immature and rant about all her emotions and scream. In fact, she wanted to throw a hissy fit, complete with smashed furniture, ripped clothes, and other various actions she'd regret later. It wasn't the best option, and it wasn't the smartest option. But it was the option that was the smartest and best for her.

Elisa then proceeded to yell at the top of her lungs and thoroughly trash her apartment. After that, she cried for a good half hour and cursed Goliath to every bad place she'd ever been to. Considering her job, it was another two hours before she went to her cabinet and used up a whole box of tissues and another whole roll of toilet paper.

As her final stage of juvenile mourning, she went to her closet and pulled out her old teddy bear. It was patched and stitched up like some Frankenstein wannabe, and the ear was only hanging on by half its appendage, but she loved it. She'd had it since she was a little kid. When she'd watched her first horror movie, she'd slept with him for protection. And she had kept him with her ever since.

It might be stupid, but at this point she was done thinking about what was mature and rational. She just wanted to wallow in her self-pity for a while longer. If she weren't a sworn officer of the law, and hadn't seen the negative effects of alcohol, she'd be really tempted to get rip-roaring drunk. Instead, she settled for curling up into a fetal position on the bed and pathetically calling Goliath elementary-school-level names in between her hiccups. Love sucked.

* * *

><p>They were both idiots. Enormous idiots. It had been three days, <em>three days<em> and they still hadn't made up yet! How could they not have? He'd done the perfect setup! Goliath apologizing to Elisa when she was in such a vulnerable mood, them reconnecting and forgiving each other, realizing they were both just being silly. But, of course, they had to make things hard. Wasn't how it always was with them? Good grief.

He reached down and patted Bronx's head, the familiar motion squelching his vague irritation for the moment, and instead helping him to think of new plans. Something, something, but what? He still didn't have any ideas. He knew he had a general range of things he could do, but nothing fit the bill after Elisa and Goliath's latest blunder. Or, non-blunder, as the case seemed. Children- they were so helpless. Hadn't he taught Goliath enough to be able to confess his love for one woman? Apparently not.

But then again, what did he know of these things? It wasn't as if he'd ever experienced the kind of love Goliath was feeling. He'd been too preoccupied; the King and his daughter, the Princess, needed him for protection, as did his clan. Even when there was no threat, he had to always be on the lookout. And when others were doing that, he was training his young ones- Goliath and his nest mates. And there were always the hatchlings; Broadway, Lexington, and Brooklyn. They needed constant supervision, what with the troublesome situations they always managed to get themselves involved in. And he couldn't forget the thing his clan relied on most; their future, the eggs. All that came before anything else. Those were his top priorities; protecting what he cared most about. All else came second- including a mate.

It wasn't as if he was lacking in love, though; he had his family and comrades. He had Bronx. He had Goliath and his friends and family, and the young ones, and the eggs. He had the rest of the Gargoyles. He even had a few of his nest mates left with him. It wasn't all that amazing, considering he wasn't that old yet. Not as old as he was now anyway. What was remarkable was the fact that some of the gargoyles who had raised he and his nest mates were still holding on. Stubborn old buggers, they were. He supposed they were still there merely out of sheer willpower. They hadn't given up, not yet. Neither was he, then.

They had taught him everything he knew, and so he had passed his knowledge on to Goliath. And so Goliath would one day pass his knowledge on to the next leader. And so the chain would continue, a never-ending chain of life, a loop that even time couldn't break. A fact that had been thoroughly tested when he and his friends had been frozen by magic and woken centuries later.

But there might not be a future, a happy one at least, if Goliath and Elisa didn't make up, and soon. When Goliath suffered, the rest of the clan did as well. Including him and Bronx.

And that happy future depended on him and his next move.

He had to plan his next move very carefully- it had to be perfect. How many times had he thought that tonight? For the past few nights, actually. By the Stone Gods, he was repeating himself like some broken CD that Brooklyn liked to listen to. With the exception that his thoughts were bearable, whereas that disk produced horrible, screeching noises called "Heavy Metal". Nasty stuff, that was. Bronx wouldn't let him turn the TV from _Dogs 101 _for a week. After that, Hudson gave Brooklyn a choice; listen to the music outside where no one else was subjected to the torture, or listen to it inside with headphones on. When he decided he didn't like the deal and ignored Hudson's command, blasting it in the clock tower, Hudson threw his stereo and adjoining system off the balcony, along with his CD's, effectively eliminating the problem.

Brooklyn listened to his music with headphones on now.

If only the rift between Goliath and Elisa was so easy to fix. But they were adults, not wily teenagers who felt a natural instinct to rebel against authority. They didn't make stupid decisions based on childish impulses. They had made conscious decisions and had to deal with the aftereffects. True, Goliath hadn't made the decision to see Elisa in her bra, and she hadn't made the decision to let him, but they needed to handle this like mature adults. Of course, they still had much to learn before they were true adults, but they were getting there. This was all a part of the grand scheme. Of course, grand schemes tended to include an ending, but…this one would have to do without for now.

"BWAHAHAHA! LOOKIT THAT!" Hudson grated at the raucous laughter. That was the third time now! What, by Bonnie King Charlie, could be causing that infernal racket?

He turned around. There, sitting in front of the TV, were Broadway, Lexington, and Brooklyn. Broadway had burst out laughing at the characters on the screen, it would seem. Hmph. Hudson didn't see what amused them all so.

There on the screen, a little brown mouse was running away from a gray and white cat, who seemed to be trying to catch the mouse and simultaneously wipe some type of pink substance from his face. He mostly succeeded, except for the small clump on his head containing a lit candle. The background scenery seemed to be in a loop; living room, hallway, kitchen, living room, hallway, kitchen. How strange. Did the characters not know they were running in circles?

He voiced his questions to the others, who seemed to know all about this strange show.

"It's called _Tom & Jerry_, Hudson. Tom is the cat, and Jerry is the mouse, though Jerry always outsmarts Tom in the end. It's real funny- you should watch it with us!"

The other two agreed and motioned Hudson closer. He obliged, and stared at the screen for some time more, then asked about the pink drippings on this "Tom's" head.

"Oh, that." replied Brooklyn. "That's birthday cake. It was Jerry's birthday and Tom made him a cake, but it really had a mousetrap hidden inside. Jerry knew, though, because the kitchen fly warned him- they're friends, see?- and so Jerry splattered the cake all over Tom and Tom's nose got caught in the trap and Jerry yanked it off, and some of his whiskers, and now Tom is chasing Jerry."

Why would a mouse befriend a fly? It didn't make sense to him, however... it had given him an idea.

* * *

><p>Bronx heaved a sigh as he made his way down another alley to Elisa's house. He understood he had to take this to Elisa, but he didn't know why. He knew the others were excited, but he didn't know what for. He saw the others go out to the store, but he didn't know what they would bring home. It was all so confusing.<p>

Bronx didn't like confusing. Confusing things usually led to disaster for him. Once, the three young gargoyles had gotten excited about something, and apparently it involved him, for he found himself in a large tub. For what, he had no idea, just that he was told to stay. Five minutes later, he wished he'd run when he'd had the chance. Because somehow, someway, someone thought it would be a good idea to give him a flea bath "just in case". It took three day-sleeps to get the smell of his skin. Revolting.

Another time, they thought it would be fun to see if he could mate with a normal dog. That was the worst. Like Bronx didn't already have thoughts about a pretty gargoyle she-dog. Now they had to add insult to injury by making a joke out of it. He knew he wasn't a young dog anymore, but he wasn't past his prime either. The golden retriever they stuck him in a room with for an hour didn't agree. She cowered in the corner and snapped at him every time he got close, though Bronx thought this was more because of his appearance than his age. But Bronx liked to think it was his age instead. She had a pretty yellow coat.

But the gist of it was, he didn't like confusion. So he was wary about delivering whatever was written on this flimsy and hastily written piece of paper, folded in half, slipped in a bottle, and given to him. He didn't like it at all, not one bit.

The fact that he was delivering it to Elisa, who hadn't been around for a few days, didn't help. Elisa, who had been the last one to see Goliath at her apartment. Goliath, who had been tense and brooding for the last week. Lucky him.

It wasn't very fair, but the others were busy. So he went, and because Hudson asked him to. His old friend who had always been there, who knew about that one small portion of his thoughts that yearned for something deeper than a friend- a mate. And Hudson, who knew as well as he did that it was never going to happen, still encouraged him. Still gave him hope. And so Bronx went, though he didn't like this at all.

* * *

><p>Elisa was suddenly jolted from her sleep by scratching at the door. She looked around, disoriented. There were tissues and other various Necessities for Womanly Mourning Concerning Love. Well, this was a first. She wasn't accustomed to waking up like this; a pounding headache, red eyes, runny nose and what felt like a cotton-filled head. And to think she hadn't even touched a drop of alcohol. Whoopdey-friggin-do.<p>

_Scratch, scratch._ There is was again. Who on earth would be scratching at her door at- she looked at the clock- almost ten o'clock! She was going to give the person responsible for this a mouthful, that was for sure. Ten o'clock at night, indeed! The nerve, the gall, the absolute _audacity_ of it all!

She yanked open the door. "What in the name of God do you want from-oh!" Elisa peered down in surprised mortification. There, at her door at this ungodly hour, was not a delivery boy, a lost soul, a man offering unmentionable services. It was Bronx. Cowering down and hunched in on himself.

Crap. Now she felt even worse. Scaring the poor guy, when he was only coming over for a visit. How horrible was she?

"Aw, I'm sorry Bronx. I didn't know it was you- come on in, I've probably got some leftovers from yesterday." That seemed to do the trick, for Bronx popped right up and bounded inside. Huh. Guess his morose moments didn't last very long. Lucky mutt.

Dear Lucky Guest: You,

Elisa Maza

Are cordially invited to:

Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington's

Birthday. This event is to be held on:

Today

Hope to see you there.

_Thud_. What in the world? Elisa walked over to where a small glass bottle had fallen on the carpet. Inside it was a folded piece of paper, wrinkled and crumpled as all get-out. She opened it, and stared at the ragged words that clashed with the beautiful calligraphy under the picture.

Huh. A birthday party for they guys? It certainly sounded interesting. What the heck- she needed this. She needed an excuse to come to the tower, to see the guys. To see Goliath.

She had a flashback of the last time she saw him, dripping with rain and sweat, breathing heavily, bare-chested, eyes wide and staring at her.

Her heart picked up a beat, and she shook her head. Not here, not now. Not with Bronx eating out of her cabinets and refrigerator. Though right now he had ceased eating and was sniffing the air and looking at her. What a weird dog…

She looked down at the invite again. She needed to stop avoiding this, avoiding him. She was going to confront him and lay down the law! She was a detective, and a police officer, who'd clawed her way to the top in a world ruled by men- she could do this!

Elisa grabbed her coat and stuffed her badge in her pocket. She wouldn't need it, but just the weight of it in her pocket was comforting. She could do this. She would do this. She had to do this.

"Come on, Bronx. We've got a party to go to." He looked up and bounded out the door after her, wagging his tail.

She could do this...she hoped.

* * *

><p>Everything looked fine to Goliath, but apparently he was wrong as Hudson told him to move the banner to the left, just a bit. Again. He'd already moved it right, up, down, left, you name the direction and he'd gone it. And if the banner was perfectly centered, then the banner was wrinkled, and if the banner wasn't wrinkled, then it wasn't perfectly centered. Honestly, his arms were hurting.<p>

"Ah! That's it! Don't move it, it's perfect! Good job, lad." Hudson smiled at him and Goliath smiled back before turning around and heaving a quiet breath of relief. Thank goodness. He glared up at the festive banner that loudly proclaimed "Happy Birthday!" He despised those words that mocked him on their sheet of white.

He turned around to escape the taunting letters and surveyed the area. All in all, it wasn't a bad setup. Once Hudson proposed a birthday party for the boys, they had rushed right out and bought all that they'd needed in the guise of early Halloween fanatics.

There was confetti sprinkled everywhere, from the counters to the floor. Silly string was hanging of the lamps and TV. Banners were strung across the ceiling. Table with party games were strewn about the room in a seemingly haphazard way. There was punch on the counter along with other foods, both human and gargoyle. Chairs were set up on the walls. A Pin-the-Tail on the Donkey game was on the wall with tails on a small inn table beside it, along with a blindfold. There were napkins, forks, spoons, knives and other random food wares on the counter near the tiny finger sandwiches, which would undoubtedly be gone in thirty minutes. Party hats were hanging on hooks near the door, to be distributed to all guests as soon as they walked in. Party favors were wrapped in gaily colored bags, to be distributed as soon they were ready to walk out and go home. There were computer games, board games, electronics, and other forms of entertainment available. There was a sign pointing to the bathroom, should anyone need it (like Fox and her almost-ready-to-be-born child).

Now all they could do was wait for the guests. Talon (or Derek), Claw, Maggie, Fox, Owen, Dracon, Matt, Coldstone, Peter and Diane (Elisa's parents), Beth (Elisa's sister), Macbeth, and Elisa herself.

Elisa. How could he forget her? Or that night, for that matter. She had looked stunning, the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. She truly was a Goddess among mortals, a diamond amongst tarnished copper painted over with silver. She shone like a nebula on the darkest of nights. Jalepena, why couldn't he just say it to her? But of course he couldn't. After all, would she reciprocate? What did he think she would do? Throw her arms around him, pledge her undying love and then kiss him senseless? No, Elisa was much more dignified than that. She was more than dignified, she was elegant and graceful, too. She was perfect incarnate.

A knock sounded and Fox swept through the door, swollen belly and all, bearing gifts for the birthday boys with her husband in tow. The gargoyles marveled at the immense boxes (and her immense stomach) as she hefted them onto the table a few feet from the door, bare now except for three huge presents. They boys thanked her and Dracon, excitedly chattering until there came another knock at the door. The silence hung in the air for a few seconds before a grin broke out on Lexington's face and he shouted "More people!" The rest of the gargoyles followed suit, making more noise than ever as each person came through the door. Derek and the rest of his clan, bearing gifts from the homeless they protected as well. Owen, finally making his debut, dull-looking as always but with a happy gleam in his eye as well. Matt, declaring that he had the best present of all, to which Maggie good-naturedly countered that _her_ present was bound to be more spectacular than three of his put together.

Peter, Diane and Beth, hugging everyone and asking if Elisa was taking good care of them. They assured them she was, of course, and Peter and Beth laughed; Diane smiled and said Elisa wasn't feeding them enough- look how skinny the boys were! They "poor dears" agreed readily and ran to show her the new foods they'd found at the store.

Coldstone and, ironically enough, Macbeth came with boisterous laughs and giant gifts as well, asking everyone's opinion on whether or not the characters in Shapespears play _Macbeth_ was better than the Scottish plays put on in the theaters. They crowed with victory when sided with and scowled when not, but heatedly debated with each other regardless of who said what. They suited each other, Goliath thought. Both stubborn and prideful, but honest and loyal to the end.

And finally, while the party was in full swing, there came a knock, so soft Goliath wasn't sure he heard it, but urged by Hudson to answer it. There, standing in front of him, was Elisa.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah! Well, that's it for now; again, I sincerely apologize for the amount of time it took to update this. Seriously- there just is no excuse. Anyway, review! Maybe I won't curse you with spiders in your bed since I took so long...NAH! Spiders in your bed to all who refuse to review!<strong>


	4. Lock and Key

**Hi guys! Wow, the review s I got, even though I didn't update for quite a long time- you all are really, **_**really**_**, amazing! I don't deserve awesome reviewers like you! **

**Also, I made a mistake in the last chapter, as you guys politely pointed out for me- thanks for that, btw. I'm glad you didn't flame me for it or anything. But yes, during the party, while everyone was coming in, I said Dracon came in when it should have been David; my bad! So sorry, I should've checked it more thoroughly. I'll try harder next time, or this time, as it stands.**

**As always, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint and that it meets your high standards for Gargoyle Fanfiction (because, as we all know, that's the best kind of Fanficton) ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gargoyles in any way, shape, or form, unfortunately. But, since I want to rant on this a teensy tiny bit, if I DID own Gargoyles, Elisa and Goliath would have gotten together LONG before they actually did, and Bronx totally would have gotten himself a nice lady dog-friend. Preferably a golden retriever with long yellow strands of lustrous fur and strong whiskers and large paws.**

* * *

><p>Seeing Goliath nearly made her collapse right then and there. <em>C'mon girl, pull it together!<em> Elisa took a deep breath and smiled. Let the party begin…

"Hey Goliath." He seemed dumbstruck that she was speaking to him. In fact, he seemed so surprised that she half expected him to turn around and look to see if she was talking to someone else. Good grief, had she been that cold to him? She couldn't have been; she'd been at home crying her eyes out the entire time. Well, there was that one period of cursing him to Hades…and the period of ranting against him and Demona…among other things…but that was all circumstantial!

She struggled to keep her smile in place and held up the present she'd picked up on her way here. "Can I come in? I brought a gift for the guys." Goliath seemed to come back to himself then, and dipped his head to her.

"Of course. Excuse me, Elisa." He moved aside so she could come in and hurried away. Hmph. Well, that didn't go exactly as she had hoped, but she could fix that later. For now, she had to attend to the younger gargoyles- it was their birthday, after all.

"ELISA!" It seemed as if she'd been spotted. Lexington raced over with Brooklyn and Broadway close on his heels. They reached and started babbling at the same time, each struggling to be heard over the other. Her head hurt from the noise and confusion of it all.

"Whoa, whoa guys! One at a time! Lex, you first." She pointed at the small, green gargoyle and he nodded and sucked in a huge gust of air. That didn't bode well…

"Why haven't you visited us for a while? Did you know that Goliath is unhappy? Bronx, too! What about Hudson? Do you know what's up with him? He's been weird lately, too! What'd you bring us? Did you miss us?"

Before she could answer even one of Lexington's questions, or even think of her answer, Brooklyn leaned forward and spouted off his inquiries as well.

"Was it something we did that upset you? Was it work? If it was, we could have helped! Don't you trust us? Do you hate us? Is that what it is? If we did something, we're sorry! We didn't mean it, whatever it was we did! What did we allegedly do?"

Elisa opened her mouth only to be interrupted by Broadway. "Of course we didn't do anything! Elisa hasn't been around for us to upset for a while! Why is that? Do you need me to be your partner again? Did Matt upset you? Is it Dracon again? What happened?"

Elisa held up her hands to stop them before they launched any more questions at her and she was completely overwhelmed. But she could do this. She was a detective and cop, and a female one at that. She could do anything! Heck, Wonder Woman had nothing on her.

"Slow down! It wasn't you, it wasn't work, I just needed some time to myself. As for Goliath, I have some idea about what might have him acting weird, but I don't know about Hudson and Bronx. Might be the weather, it's getting rainy. I did miss you guys, and I still totally love y'all. I did bring you guys a gift, if you want it…"

They all visibly brightened as she talked and then nodded eagerly when she finished. Elisa laughed and dodged their grabbing hands as they made a snatch for the medium-sized box. They played along, wrestling with her and pulling at her clothes gently. Elisa pulled the box inward toward her stomach, hunching in on herself in a halfway fetal position, a huge grin on her face the entire time. They ganged up on her, pulling out her arms and taking the present from her as she threw up her hands in mock-exasperation.

They ripped at the paper, their talons getting caught on each other's in their hurry. After the brightly decorated paper was mutilated beyond all relief, they managed to open the box within- and promptly lost all saneness they had left.

They held their gift aloft and screamed with joy, prancing around her and thanking her multiple times, and profusely at that. Because in their hands, up high in a position of reverence and honor, was a new Xbox complete with three controllers, colored red, teal, and green.

Those around to witness the spectacle laughed with them, some smiling indulgently at the display of carefree youth. Hudson chuckled and rubbed Bronxs' ears.

Elisa, in a word, was happy. The boys loved their present, everyone was smiling, and the party was in full-swing. Though, there was one problem that had yet to be addressed. A large, purple problem with a deep voice and piercing eyes…

Elisa shook herself. Good grief, she was thinking about his masculine qualities even while she was mad at him! What was wrong with her? Why was she torturing herself over him? It wasn't as if he was worth it, especially since he didn't even like her enough to call or pay a visit after walking in on her when she was practically naked! But, then again, he had to like her a little bit, right? He had stared at her…No!

Elisa mentally slapped herself. She didn't need this right now. All she had to do was find him. That was it. Find Goliath, confront him about what happened, and resolve whatever repercussions might pop up. That was all. Simple as 1, 2, 3. Easy as pie. How hard could it be?

* * *

><p>It must have been very hard, Bronx thought. Walking around like that, constantly pacing the room and looking around. Elisa must be in need of exercise. A good walk would do the trick. Maybe she should come with him and Hudson. Hudson was a great walker. He had a steady pace and never pushed Bronx too hard if he was tired. Maybe he could get Hudson to invite her…<p>

Bronx edged closer to where Elisa was standing. Was she looking under the tablecloth? He hesitantly inched towards her. She smelled confused, and sort of angry, but not really. Frustrated, that was the word for it. Why was she feeling that?

Elisa abruptly stood up and stalked over to the stairs that led up to the clock tower balcony door. He followed her, curious as to what she was doing. What was she looking for? Why wasn't she happy? It was a party, why was she not enjoying it with everyone else?

She was up the stairs and heading out the door by now. Bronx went after her and found her leaning against the stone railing. Her shoulders were slumped and her head was down. She was unhappy, dejected. What happened?

He scraped his talons against the floor to let her know he was there. She whirled around, a strangled noise coming out of her mouth as her eyes widened. As soon as she saw it was him, she relaxed visibly.

"Hey boy. Whatcha doin' out here when the party's in there?" He whined and rubbed her hand with his head. Maybe she was lonely. He should comfort her, then. That's what Hudson always did for him. It worked, he thought, a little bit. She smiled thinly and rubbed behind his ears. It felt good.

"I'm happy you came to me, at least. That's more than _some_ people can do. It was very considerate of you to come out here with me, in this weather. Not very warm any more, is it. Then again, it's not freezing, either, so we can't complain, can we?" Hudson rumbled deep in his chest and leaned into her leg. She was still rubbing his ears. It still felt good.

"Someone's in a good mood, it seems. Hudson must have walked you recently." He had, actually. Just last night. It was a good walk, with lots of playing in the grass involved. And it was in his favorite part of the park, where Elisa and Goliath had outrun the bad guys. Hudson had even gone so far as to bring a Frisbee; it had been absolute bliss. Not to mention, he had seen a pretty Dalmatian while on the path. Her spots were perfectly shaped.

"Maybe I'll go on another walk with you sometime, huh? Would you like that?" Just as he thought- she needed a good walking.

She let out a huge gust of air, blowing out her cheeks. The frustrated smell was coming off her again, but stronger this time. It must be a very…_special_ person to make her feel like this. Hmph. Strange.

"I'm looking for Goliath, have you seen him anywhere? I think he's avoiding me, since that last incident. Have you seen him? I've been looking for him everywhere, but he's managed to escape. I have to give him credit, though. Not easy getting away with Hudson watching; that wily old gargoyle doesn't miss anything."

It was true. Hudson was a very watchful gargoyle. Bronx had gotten caught in the underbrush once when Hudson had let him go off by himself for a while, and when he didn't come back in time, Hudson had searched until he found him.

"No response, then? Guess you don't know either. Oh well, I guess I'll have to track him down another time. I was really looking forward to resolving this tonight, though, y'know?" Bronx frowned- she had stopped rubbing his ears. "Looking forward to talking to him…" she trailed off, looking down.

A loud whooshing assaulted their ears, and they felt the stone slightly vibrate as Goliath landed heavily on the railing a few feet from Elisa and him. He turned and looked directly at her and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"I wanted to talk to you, too."

* * *

><p>Elisa looked stunning, as usual; she had jeans and her usual red t-shirt on, but she had taken off her jacket. She shouldn't be outside- it was getting cooler and she could catch a cold. She must have been cold, why hadn't she gone in by now?<p>

She still hadn't said anything; she was just standing there with her mouth open, gaping at him. That didn't bode well.

"You must be cold. Why don't we go inside?" Goliath voiced his earlier concerns while gesturing to the closed door.

Elisa hesitated, a look of concentration on her face. She was thinking of the pros and cons of going inside or staying outside, he was sure. She was thinking of which would be a better environment in which to discuss their earlier…_encounter_.

"I'd actually like to stay out here. Nice weather, huh?" He should have known; less people around out here, and no one was likely to interrupt them, either. The fact still remained that she was apt to be cold and could get sick. He was fine, on account of his tough skin, but she was still susceptible.

"It's getting cold out, and you could catch a cold if you stay out here much longer. I realize you wish to discuss this out here, where it's more private, but I would feel better if I knew you were warm inside. Besides that, we can talk in the kitchen area; no one is near there."

Elisa stopped to consider it only briefly. "That may be, but it'd still be more secluded out here than any place in there would be. I don't want anyone hearing this; it's out business and no one else's. So, I'd still like to stay out here."

He had known it was a long shot; Elisa was too cautious and this subject was too precious. He might not like it, but he would respect her wishes. It was the least he could do, all things considered…

"As you like it, then. We shall talk out here." Elisa nodded as he talked, and looked somewhat relieved. He should have expected it, but it still sent a twinge of pain through his chest to know that she didn't want to be seen with him. Nonetheless, he would take whatever emotions Elisa decided to have towards him- it was what he deserved.

They stood like that for a few minutes, neither one willing to bring up the awkward memories first. Goliath supposed he should be the one to do it. It would be a suitable part of his penance for mistaking the situation and barging in on her as he did.

"Elisa, I…" Goliath didn't know how to proceed. How did one phrase such a delicate question? He suddenly turned to her and burst out "I am sorry!" He blinked, recoiling. He hadn't meant for the apology to come out so loud and desperate.

By the way Elisa was blinking at him, she was as surprised as he. Jalepena, he had probably pushed her away even farther now- she probably thought the apology was forced because it came out so fast.

Before he could figure out a way to rectify the situation, Elisa surprised him be speaking. "I'm sorry, too. When you didn't come, I thought you didn't want to see me, and I overreacted, and…" she never finished, throwing up her hands and shaking her head.

Goliath would have laughed at the irrationality of the conversation and their feelings had he not known that Elisa would have been offended. And here he was, thinking…

"You thought I was upset with you? I had no such emotion, Elisa, nor could I when it was I who was at fault. I thought, because you had not come to confront me about what had happened, that it was _you _who was distressed with _me_. I am sorry, again. Now I realize if I had just visited you and made an effort to resolve this, I could have spared us both these useless situations." Goliath finished, out of breath, and words. He didn't know what else he could say, but he hoped that what he had managed to communicate was enough.

"Elisa didn't answer, instead choosing to wrap her arms around herself and think. She was probably deciding whether or not to accept his apology.

"Mph!" Elisa still had her arms curled around herself, but her hand was covering her mouth. What was wrong with her? Why was she making those strangled noises? Was she hurt?

Elisa started shaking and slid down the rail so she was sitting on the stone floor with her legs under her. She was still making the weird noises, and now she had both hands covering her mouth as the weird noises emitted from her.

The shaking intensified, her whole body vibrating. "Hahahahaha!" Elisa wretched her hands from her mouth and started laughing dazzlingly, loud and boisterous. Her cheeks grew ruddy from the force of her amusement, and her hands clutched at her sides, fingers digging into the soft, yielding flesh. She was bent over, and her forehead was but a few inches from the ground.

So…this was funny now? Alright. He could deal with this. It was a humorous situation, apparently. Should he laugh along with her, or would she get offended if he laughed? Would she be offended if he _didn't_ laugh? Human females were so much more confusing than gargoyle females. But, then again, wasn't that why he was so fascinated with her?

The laughing started to subside as Elisa gained more control over her reaction. She wiped her eyes and chuckled once more before sighing and leaning against the railing. She almost looked tired after her fit of glee. She shook herself and looked up at him, smiling. It was an improvement.

"Sorry, Big Guy. I kinda had a breakdown there, I guess. Just the thought of it, both of us thinking the same thing, and neither of us even willing to face the other. God, what a mess. Geez, and to think if we had just _talked_ like normal people do when they have a problem…it's so, so stupid. _I'm_ so stupid."

She looked so dejected, so upset. He knew what he had to say, what she needed to hear; the truth. "We've both been stupid, Elisa."

She smiled, and he knew he'd said the right thing.

Her smile proved to be infectious, as he was soon smiling back at her in, what he was sure, a goofy manner. She must have thought this was funny (he _knew_ it- he did look goofy!) because a small laugh escaped her before she stifled it. Goliath couldn't blame her, and was about to ask her about the source of her amusement, probably confirming his theory of goofiness, when he saw her shiver.

His smile dropped quickly. Elisa was cold- he shouldn't have been so negligent to forget about that. It was unacceptable. She needed to be inside, where it was warm.

"Elisa, now that we have solved this whole thing, would you like to go inside? I fear we may be missed if we stay outside much longer. And it _is_ the boys' birthday party, after all."

Elisa looked like a deer caught in the headlights, as the hatchlings said. "Oh my gosh, you're right! We should be with them!"

She rushed to the closed door, Goliath following somewhat more sedately behind. She stood by the door, waiting for him before she went in. Feeling guilty for prolonging her loss of body heat, he hurried a bit more quickly to her.

He joined her and she turned and pulled on the door handle. And pulled again. Elisa furrowed her brow and yanked on the door. Goliath was profoundly aware that something was wrong by this time. Even Bronx started to shuffle and whine.

Goliath gently touched Elisa's shoulder and pulled her backwards. He tugged on the handle and frowned. It was locked, though he had no idea why. True, the door _had_ a lock; they knew that. They just never locked it. Elisa had told them where the key was, of course. There was a hook near the bottom of the stairs, tarnished and worn. Hanging from it was an equally worn, though certainly in better shape, brass key. Both flaked bits of unidentifiable substances now and then.

And once the initial surprise that it was still hanging on wore away, they accepted it, had gotten used to it, and barely glanced at it most of the time. It was just expected to be there, like some old statue in a park that, while dirty and crumbling, refused to quietly die away.

Goliath jerked the handle once more in frustration. Why was it locked? They'd never even taken the key of the hook, for stone's sake! True, he could have (probably) torn the door away from the frame and dismantled the surrounding stone, but that would have interrupted the party. He didn't want to ruin the first birthday party the younger gargoyles had ever had.

He sighed in defeat and turned apologetically to Elisa, who just held up her hand and stopped him before he could speak.

"S'okay, I understand. We'll just wait until the party winds down a bit- someone's bound to notice we're missing by then, right? In the meantime, we'll hang out here and…talk, I guess. Sound good?"

Goliath beamed at her, amazed that such an understanding and amazing person could actually exist. Even more astounding was the fact that he had found her, and that she seemed to enjoy his company as much as he enjoyed hers.

He nodded and took her hand in his, leading her back to the railing and sitting down with his back leaning on it. She sat beside him and he wrapped his wing around her, hoping that it wouldn't offend her or seem to forward.

He shouldn't have worried; Elisa just smiled and snuggled deeper into his side. Even Bronx woofed and sat on their legs, snorting happily.

The three of them looked up at the stars and, instead of talking as they had planned, they reflected on what was in each of their minds at that moment.

Rather, that was what Goliath was doing, and what he assumed Elisa was doing. Upon further inspection though, he found out Bronx had simply fallen asleep. Goliath grinned; at least Bronx wasn't bothered by the recent events, or previous events, as it would be.

He looked up at the sky again. It really was a nice night-there were only a few clouds out, so the rest of the sky was free to show off its starry badges.

He saw some of the constellations in the sky and looked at them. How amazing it was to know it was the same sky here as the one he'd looked at all those years ago. It seemed impossible, but there it was. The wonders of the world never ceased to amaze him.

Just like Elisa. He noticed, not without some amusement, that every train of thought seemed to bring him back to her. Was that normal? Sometimes he felt it was only natural. Other times he thought it was completely _unnatural_. He wanted to ask someone, but who to ask? He couldn't ask the hatchlings. Couldn't ask Hudson. Was too embarrassed to ask Elisa.

The only thing he could rely on was his only judgement. The problem was, that could only come from experience. The only experience he had was with Demona, and he could push her out of his mind. He could concentrate on her when needed, and then focus on whatever else was more imminent or important at that moment.

But now, with Elisa, she seemed to wriggle into anything that seemed to be more imminent or important and literally _become_ what was more imminent or, more often than not, more important. And now, he couldn't imagine anything more important than Elisa. She seemed to override everything.

Though, that wasn't always a bad thing. She spread happiness and good feeling everywhere in his mind when he thought about her. It didn't matter if she was alone with him, or they were on opposite sides of a crowded room, the effect was the same. She was incredible.

* * *

><p>Elisa smiled to herself. This was as good as it got. Here she was, on a beautiful night, snuggled against Goliath's side. No noise, no other people, no distractions. Just her and Goliath. And Bronx, of course, but she didn't really have a problem with him. If anything, he just enhanced the mood, what with his adorable face and rhythmic (and endearing) snoring.<p>

If only every night could be like this. This really was the definition of a perfect day- or, rather, night. Maybe every night could be like this. Since she and Goliath were back together (whatever that meant), then they could do this.

Of course, that led to what they were, exactly. Was she his girlfriend and he her boyfriend, or were they more like romantic friends? Or were they friends with romantic ties to each other? It was all so confusing to her. She could ask Goliath but she didn't know if he was any less confused on the subject.

On second thought, she didn't know if she wanted to ask Goliath. It might ruin the mood, and since everything was picture-perfect right now, she'd just keep her mouth shut. Yeah, that seemed about right at this point.

She looked up at Goliath. He was staring at the sky, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. She wondered what he was thinking about. It didn't really matter, though. They were here together right now. That was all that counted. And what a wonderful thing it was.

Elisa closed her eyes and tucked her head into Goliath's side even tighter. She wrapped her hands around his arm and curled her legs underneath her. This was paradise. If she died right now, she'd be happy.

Of course, if he happened to lean down and kiss her, she wouldn't be too offended or anything. She might even kiss him back. Heck, forget him kissing her, if she stayed this giddy she might end up kissing him... again. It could definitely happen. Was looking very probable at this moment.

Hmm, to kiss, or not to kiss? This was the question. She'd have to think on that a little bit more. Or should she just kiss him now and forget about the thinking stuff? That sounded good. Thinking was overrated anyway.

She turned to him, opened her mouth, and paused. She put her hand over her mouth to muffle her laugh. He was sleeping, or resting, or what looked like it. His eyes were closed, at any rate. At least he looked peaceful. More peaceful than he'd looked in a while, actually.

She supposed kissing could wait until later.

* * *

><p>Hudson surveyed the scene before him, and smiled. A self-satisfied smile. The kind of smile a young child wears after they have correctly answered a teacher's question and therefore think that they have established favoritism in the teacher's eyes.<p>

Everything was going wonderfully: everyone was happy, the party was progressing splendidly. And best of all, Elisa and Goliath seemed to have disappeared. They must have gotten caught up somewhere. Either way, Hudson was happy with the development. If things went according to plan, perhaps there would be titles like "couple" and "mates" in the future.

And if they happened to get along even better once they were more acquainted with each other, well, who could be to blame but Fate? Destiny might have helped. Lady Luck could have nudged events to favor Goliath and Elisa.

He smiled. They were perfect for each other. Each one complimented the other perfectly, but no so much as to make them a bland couple. They both challenged one another and constantly forced the other to reassess the world and refine their views. But what else could be expected from two as headstrong as they were?

Hudson smile grew wider as he heard another cheer go up. The boys were opening presents now, and apparently they had gotten a new RC helicopter, something called an AR Drone Quadricopter. They now appeared to be flying it over the guests' heads (or trying to crash it into the guests' heads). Ah well, as long as it made them happy.

It really had been a night full of happiness. Maybe it had had a rocky start, what with the awkwardness between Elisa and Goliath, but now it was a warm and easy-going atmosphere. Derek, or Talon, was once again introducing Maggie to his family eagerly. Though he had already done so before, they seemed to be receiving her as ecstatically as the first time they'd met her.

The boys were now demolishing another picturesque gift, while other guests gathered in a friendly circle around them, appropriately cheering when each new present was brandished in the air for all to see. This time the present of honor was a new gaming system accompanied by four controllers, in case there was a guest visiting.

Yes, everything was going well. And if what he had in mind for the future was starting to come to fruition, as he expected it was, then everything was going absolutely magnificently. He'd have Bronx give him a full report later, as he suspected his leathery-skinned companion was with the two lovebirds. Well, soon-to-be lovebirds, but who bothered with technicalities these days?

* * *

><p>Lexington shook his head as he walked back to where Brooklyn and Broadway were playing with the AR Drone Quadricopter.<p>

It was almost sunrise, and they were milking the night for all it was worth by playing with their new presents to the point of exhaustion. The party was over, but for them it was still in full swing. Everything was amazing- they really were the luckiest gargoyles in the whole world.

Brooklyn cheered as he completed the makeshift obstacle course they'd set. He'd officially beaten Broadway's time, managing to maneuver the Quadricopter through the course in three minutes, twenty seconds. That was better than Broadway's score by a while fifteen seconds.

Lexington congratulated Brooklyn and they stood by and Broadway snatched the controller with renewed vigor, a determined scowl on his face. He frowned in concentration as he worked the buttons and switches with dogged energy.

Brooklyn rolled his eyes at Broadway's attempts. "Can you believe him? Like he could beat my awesome score before sunrise. I totally have him, right?"

Lex murmured an affirmative and nodded vaguely. Appearing unsatisfied by this meager excuse of an answer, Brooklyn nudged him. "What's wrong with you? Usually you'd be totally stoked and gunning for a turn."

Lexington shrugged. It wasn't that big of a deal, so he really shouldn't talk about it. But this was Brooklyn, his best friend, his nest mate! Surely he wouldn't make anything out of it…

"Well, it's totally not important. I mean, it's probably stupid. It was just kind of weird, y'know? Threw me off."

Brooklyn frowned. It must have been highly unusual if it threw _Lexington_ off. "What was it?"

"Well, I might have been wrong, but…I could have sworn I saw Hudson taking that old key off its hook after the party started."

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><p><strong>Alright! Well, this chapter I managed to get out sooner than the last one, but not by much. I'll try to improve on that, my wonderful, magical, smile-sustaining reviewers- I promise! <strong>

**So, I have to thank my crazy, North Carolinian family for the inspiration that spawned this chapter. My Grandma Charlie, in particular. She is the best grandmother, no joke. I love her like Pepe LePew loves chasing after cats that he thinks are skunks. **

**Here's the story: Basically, when she was younger, around fifteen or so, she snuck out to go to this party that all her friends were going to. She went to the party, and got back without her parents knowing she snuck out. Everything went off without a hitch- except when she got home, apparently one of her parents had got up in the dead of night for a glass of water, and found the front door unlocked. So when she got home, lo and behold, it was locked. **

**She checked the doors, checked the windows, all locked. Until she found the side garage door. Thankfully, it was not locked. Neither, strangely, was the family car. So she slept in the car that night. In the morning she walked back around and sat on the porch steps. About an hour or two later, her mother opened the door and saw her. Before my grandmother could even open her mouth to come up with some story, her mother laughed. Said 'Locked yourself out of the house getting the newspaper, didn't you?' And my grandma just nodded her head and walked inside. And that was it.**

**From that, came this story, although the only thing they really have in common is the whole locked out thing. I don't know how it happened, but somehow it spawned this chapter in my twisted, weird little mind.**

**Tell me if you love it, hate it, hated my little story above. Suggestions about chapters, new ideas for chapters, requests for chapters; all are welcome and appreciated.**

**Lastly, review- I curse your beds with spiders if you don't!**


	5. Aches, Pains, and Cookies

**Ah, and here is the fifth chapter! I rate this one as a so-so chapter, as the main idea was kind of weak. This chapter, again, was inspired by my wacky family. This weekend, I had to bake and ice three hundred and fifty cupcakes. Three hundred and fifty. And icing them included putting a flower and leaf on top. Not. Fun. By the end of the whole ordeal, me and my Aunt Rochelle were covered with icing and baking ingredients. It was quite an…**_**interesting**_** experience.**

**Now, on to the story!**

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><p>Elisa stretched and smiled as she woke up. The sun was shining and she could actually hear birds singing. It was a beautiful day. She'd spent the entire night with Goliath, and then gone home, only to find a voicemail from her boss saying they didn't need her to work that weekend. So, really, it was going to be a wonderful weekend.<p>

What should she do while waiting for the gargoyles to wake up? She could go to the movies, take a walk in the park, maybe visit the mall. She hadn't done that in a while. What about an ice-skating rink? Or the aquarium. The museum was an option, too. The possibilities were endless. She could do so much.

Or…do nothing of all. She could just sleep the entire day, like Cagney. Huh. That didn't seem like the worst idea, now that she really thought about it. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she liked it.

Elisa looked over to where Cagney was sleeping at the foot of the bed, stretched out. One paw twitched, and Elisa grinned affectionately. Probably dreaming of catching mice and birds. Or maybe playing with Broadway.

She glanced at the clock. It read 8:26 AM. Normally, she'd already be at the station working her butt off or drowning in paperwork. She had to admit, this scenario was much more pleasing to her. It also meant she had more energy, so that when she went to see Goliath she wouldn't have dark circles under her eyes or be yawning all the time.

Elisa smiled and nodded to herself. She could already tell that this was going to be a good day. The only thing that could make it better was her mom's famous chocolate chip cookies. Jalepena, but they were delicious!

She snuggled back under her warm covers and curled her legs. It was comfy. She sighed in bliss and drifted off to that hazy world where one's dreams become reality and everything is perfect. The last thing on her mind was the smell of freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies.

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><p>Hudson groaned as the last remnants of his stone casing fell off him. He wasn't as young as he used to be, that much was true, but tonight his joints seemed to irritate him more than usual.<p>

Beside him Bronx barked and ran through the clock tower door that the others had left open on their way in. Hudson followed, still stretching his wings and rolling his shoulders. Elisa was already inside, greeting the young ones and Goliath. She seemed to be greeting Goliath very warmly, in fact. How…interesting.

Bronx barked again and jumped up on Elisa, causing her to laugh and rub his ears. Nothing unusual there. Goliath chuckled as well and put his hand over hers on top of Bronx's head. Hudson smiled. It seemed as if they were making progress, and about time too.

He was glad his efforts the other night hadn't been in vain. You'd think that in a crowded room it'd be easy to slip away, but it was more difficult than it looked. Every time he'd get a free moment something else would come up that required his presence. Though it was challenging, he'd accomplished what he needed to before Elisa, Goliath, and Bronx had tried to come back in.

Everything had played out rather nicely from there, but Hudson was worried that Lexington had seen him with the key. But the young gargoyle hadn't said anything about it, or confronted him, so Hudson couldn't be sure.

Bronx ran to him and looked back at Goliath and Elisa, who were chatting animatedly with the younger gargoyles at the moment, and wagged his tail. Hudson agreed with him wholeheartedly. Things would probably make headway on their own from here. Still, Hudson felt he and Bronx should monitor things and give events a little…push if need be. Just in case.

A strand of the conversation drifted across the room. "…And the girl kept eating more and more cookies, and then she blew up!" The other boys laughed and nodded as Goliath and Elisa chuckled uncertainly. Hudson doubted they understood the description of the show that Lexington, Brooklyn and Broadway had provided, as it was somewhat choppy and incomplete.

Bronx woofed and licked his chops. Hudson smiled- cookies did sound good. The last baked snack they'd had was two pans of brownies Elisa had cooked for them about a month ago.

Bronx whined and lips his mouth again. Hudson looked down and rubbed his ears. "Maybe if ye ask the lass nicely, she'll bake ye some." Bronx looked up at him, as if contemplating whether or not to take his suggestion seriously.

Elisa walked over to them and scratched behind Bronx's ears, making him pant and lean into her. She smiled at Hudson and greeted him, asking "Did I hear something about me over here?"

Hudson confirmed it was so. "Bronx heard the lads talking about cookies, and wondered if ye would make him some." Elisa smiled and nodded, agreeing that she would.

"Ah, thank ye, lass. I'll help ye to make them, seeing as it's fer my friend here." Hudson walked over the small kitchen area they'd put together over the last few months. Composed of a refrigerator, a microwave, an oven and stove, and some small stand up cabinets. It wasn't much, but it was useable. And until they managed to buy more, and namely better, equipment, it was all they had.

Hudson opened the cabinet and reached down to grab the large bowl on the bottom, groaning and clutching his back with his free hand when he rose. Elisa hurried over from the fridge, leaving the door open in her haste, and helped him up.

"What's wrong?" She looked worried.

"Och, it's nothing, lass, donna fash. My back is hurting me a wee bit more than usual is all." Elisa shook her head and Hudson saw the telltale glint in her eye. She determined about something, and whatever it was she wanted, she was going to get.

"No, Hudson. It's not nothing. You're the oldest here, and while you're still a great warrior, you need to be careful. You're not invincible." Hudson shook his head and opened his mouth to argue with her, only to be silenced again.

"No buts. I can do this by myself- you go and rest. Doctor's orders." Hudson gave her the bowl and walked behind her to shut the gaping refrigerator door.

"I thought ye were a policewoman and detective." Elisa smiled.

"I'm more of a…_impromptu_ doctor/nurse. But I've taken first aid before, so don't worry. I know what I'm doing." Hudson chuckled. She was full of surprises- good surprises, as always.

Elisa smiled at him again and put her hand on his back, guiding him towards his chair in front of the TV. "Don't think you can get out of this just because I don't have an official license, mister. Sit down and relax: I can handle this."

Hudson lowered himself into his chair and sighed. "It's just that I worry, lass. You know how much the lads eat. T'would take hours to bake all that."

Elisa shook her head and picked up the remote, handing it to him. "I've got some time off, it's okay."

Hudson heaved a sigh and flipped through the channels. "Still…I wish ye would have some help." He decided to watch Animal Planet. Big Cat Diary was on. He liked watching the mother cats interacting with their young.

He looked up as a large shadow overwhelmed them. Goliath looked between Hudson and Elisa and offered his help. "If it will settle both your concerns, then I'm happy to help." Elisa nodded her consent and they looked to Hudson.

"Sounds fine to me, then. Be careful." Elisa rolled her eyes good-naturedly and Goliath nodded. Then they walked over to the kitchen and started to bake.

Hudson smiled as he watched them. He hated aches and pains as much as the next gargoyle, but he has to admit; they did come in handy sometimes.

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><p>Elisa put the bowl on the counter and reached back into the fridge to grab the eggs, butter, and milk. Goliath opened the cabinet again to snatch the beater, two large spoons, and the rubber scraper.<p>

They sat all the ingredients on the counter and Elisa looked around for the flour. _Good grief_, she thought. _Don't tell me I'm going to have to go shopping_. She looked on the bottom shelf of the cabinet. Not there. She looked through the three shelves in the middle of the cabinet. Nothing. She stood on her tiptoes and grabbed the shelf with her hands, trying to lift herself higher to see the contents of the highest shelf. She just barely managed to see over the bottom of the shelf, but it was enough. There, near the back of the cabinet, was she flour. Bingo.

Elisa lifted one hand and reached. She wasn't tall enough, but since when had that stopped her before? Never. Elisa grunted and hopped up a little bit. She managed to brush the bag with her fingertips, but couldn't get a grip enough to drag it forward.

This was ludicrous. There had to be a stool somewhere around here. She searched around and looked under the sink. She scanned the room quickly. She scanned the room again. Not one stool in the whole place. She should have known, she supposed. Gargoyles didn't exactly have height problems.

She looked back at the cabinet. It seemed to be mocking her, taunting her. She glared at it. One day she would find an excuse to burn that cabinet.

Elisa walked back over to it. Maybe she could climb the second shelf and reach it that way? She pushed on the shelf with her hand and grimaced as it dipped when she applied more pressure. She wasn't overweight, but she wasn't exactly skinny, either. The result of too much indulgence, courtesy of many sleepless nights thanks to a certain purple gargoyle.

She sighed and bit her lip. Maybe she could-

"OH!" Elisa gasped in surprise as Goliath picked her up by the waist and lifted her to the top of the cabinet. She looked down at him and smiled. She could always count on Goliath to help her out when she needed him.

He smiled back. "Need a hand?"

Elisa rolled her eyes and laughed, but on the inside she was melting as quickly as the butter she set out before this whole ordeal. Trust him to make something as corny as that sound like a line out of some romance novel.

She grabbed the flour and he set her down, though his hands lingered around her waist. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled again, thanking him, and then walked over to the counter. She dumped the four in the bowl and then cracked the eggs, gentling banging them on the edge of the bowl. Elisa looked around- she'd forgotten to take the milk out of the fridge. She went over and pulled it out. Now where was the…

Goliath handed her the measuring cup and smiled at her again before going back to work lugging out all the other ingredients they needed. Elisa shook her head. She certainly was scatterbrained today.

She measured out the amount she needed and then dumped that in the bowl too. She picked up the vanilla extract, sugar, and chocolate chips and put those in with the gushy mess that was the batter. For the last step she sprinkled brown sugar over the surface of the batter.

Elisa picked up the spoon and stirred the batter, scraping the sides and bottom to make sure it all mixed together well. She set the bowl down and turned the oven on, making sure it was the right temperature. She burned a batch of brownies once and Lexington and Brooklyn had griped about it for the rest of the night. To make matters worse, the next three times she'd baked anything for them, they'd joked about feeding it to Bronx first to see if it was actually edible. Broadway had eaten everything regardless of crisp crusts.

She whipped the batter a few more times and then nodded, satisfied with the density. She sat the bowl down and went to the cabinet to pull out the baking pans. She pulled them out and hesitated before closing the cabinet door. She grabbed two more bowls and sat them on the counter next to the pans and firmly closed the cupboard door. They could bake more, quicker, now.

She dumped the cookie batter into the pan, paying attention to scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure that she'd gotten it all into the pan, and then sat the pan in the oven, closing the door and setting the timer.

She wiped her brow and sucked in a deep breath. One pan done, four more to go. Maybe five or six to go, depending on how hungry the younglings were that night. She looked over and saw Goliath had already started on the second batch of cookies. Always the silent helper.

She picked up the flour bag again and started the entire process again. Everything went smoothly for a while. She and Goliath worked well together, each able to function separately but interact together as a unit also.

They'd finished two more batches as well as setting the first batch out to cool quickly and efficiently. Looking back on it, Elisa should have expected what happened next. After all, the equivalent of three rowdy teenagers lived there, as well as a dog. They'd been cooped up all evening, opting to stay in and play with their new gifts they'd received a few days ago.

Elisa pulled the third batch of cookies out of the oven and closed the door with her hip, wincing as it banged shut. She heard the boys whoop and yell in the background as they continued to play with their helicopter, winding it through make-shift courses.

Goliath smiled at her as he passed to put the next pan of batter into the oven. She smiled back and felt dimly registered annoyance when she heard the boys' shouts reach a new pitch, making their yells sound even harsher.

She flinched as the younger gargoyles started screaming even more and turned around to reprimand them. "Would you _please_ stop so I can- ARGH!"

Elisa ducked as the helicopter flew towards her face and instinctively threw her hands up to protect herself. The cookies went flying out of the pan and into the air, pelting her and Goliath both with chocolate chip pastries.

Bronx barked and ran towards them, diving for the floor and gobbling up the cookies as fast as he could. Elisa started for him, meaning to pull him off before he got a stomach-ache and threw up on the floor, only to be pushed to the side as Bronx ran to eat another cookie he'd just spotted. Elisa fell to the side, twisting so that her side would bear the worst of her injuries instead of her front.

She felt herself jar from impact and knew she'd have a bruise tomorrow, but it wasn't from the floor; she looked up and sure enough, Goliath had one arm around her and the second arm still holding the cookie batter. He exhaled in relief and opened his mouth, no doubt to ask if she was alright, when he looked up and yanked her sideways. The helicopter whizzed past her head and she shut her eyes. If those boys got their stupid toy stuck in her hair…

Goliath pulled her backwards again and she heard it go by again, this time near Goliath's head instead of her. He was having trouble keeping hold of her and the batter, she could tell. Elisa tried to extract herself from Goliath, not that she really wanted to leave his arms, trying to be as careful as possible in this situation.

She was still in the process of leaving Goliath when she heard the boys shouting behind her again. She ducked and pulled Goliath down with her, curling into his chest. His large, warm, chest.

At first Goliath resisted, surprised by the sudden movement, but then gave in and followed her down. The problem was, he didn't quite move quickly enough. The helicopter smashed into the bowl and yanked it out of Goliath's hand. The blade of the helicopter went into the bowl, splattering the batter everywhere.

Elisa ducked as a glob of cookie dough plunked on the counter behind her. She felt Goliath go the opposite way and wince when a drop splattered on his cheek.

She heard Hudson cry in outrage and looked over to see the TV screen spattered with dough. Bronx yelped when a large glob landed on his back. The boys groaned and make various noises of disgust as they were bombarded as well. They all fell silent when they heard a whirring noise. They looked over and saw the helicopter jerking sporadically, drenched in cookie dough. It emitted a blast of smoke, lurched a few more times, and then fell silent.

Everyone looked around. There was dough on the floor, on the walls, on the TV, in various places all over the kitchen area, on Bronx's back, over the boys, and a smudge of it on Goliath's cheek. As if sensing they were going to get in trouble, the boys shuffled their feet and looked down.

Hudson got up and opened his mouth and stepped forward, about to berate the young gargoyles, when his foot slipped in a puddle of dough and he fell backwards into his chair, releasing a huge breath and rubbing his sides.

Elisa started forward, worried he'd hurt himself, but Hudson saw her coming and waved her away saying he was alright. Elisa didn't really believe him; he was known to push aside his own needs for others. But she'd let it slide for now. She had bigger gargoyles to fry at this point.

Speaking of, she turned to the three boys and glared at them. She didn't even know what to say to them. She shook her head and sighed, then voiced as much to them. "I don't even know what to say to you guys. How did this even happen?"

Brooklyn shrugged and looked down at his. Broadway opened his mouth, but then closed it, obviously at a loss for words. Lexington glanced at Elisa, at his helicopter, and back down to his feet. They all looked ashamed, and Elisa almost felt sorry for chastising them.

Brooklyn stepped forward then, and put his hands out in front of him. "We lost control of the helicopter. It was my fault. I saw it going towards you two and I didn't warm you in time. Sorry."

Lexington looked at Brooklyn and shook his head. "It wasn't you." He looked at Elisa and Goliath. "I made some adjustments to it so it would go faster and turn corners better. I shouldn't have done it, but I got bored with it being so slow. Plus, I wanted to beat Brooklyn's time score. I'm really, really sorry!"

Broadway put his hand on Lexington's shoulder and frowned. "Nah, it was me. I had the remote, I should have controlled it better. That's all there is to it. Sorry everybody." He looked down at his feet again, as did the other two at the end of his apology.

Elisa frowned. They'd admitted to it, but there was still the matter of the punishment. She didn't want anything too harsh since no one had gotten hurt, but the potential for hurt had still been there, and that was what counted in the end.

Goliath stepped forward. "I appreciate that you all took responsibility for your actions. That shows how far you've matured since we have come here. You know the weight of what you did, and that is important as well. I am proud of you for your apology. But you will clean up the mess that your helicopter has caused, and wash Bronx as well. Understand?"

The boys nodded and dutifully walked over the corner where they kept the cleaning supplies. On the way back Lexington mournfully picked up his helicopter and stared at him before setting it back down. Elisa felt a twinge of sympathy for him. They'd really liked that toy- it'd been their favorite, and his personal tinker toy for the past few days. Maybe she could buy him a new one when she got the money.

She and Goliath walked back over to the kitchen. She snagged the bowl off the floor and took it to the sink to watch it while Goliath took the cookies out of the oven and sat them on a cooling rack. She finished washing the bowl and set to drying it as Goliath got more ingredients out of the refrigerator. He looked over at her and asked "Do we have any more of that vanilla substance?"

Elisa nodded and directed him to the second shelf of the cabinet, grateful she'd stocked up on spices and the like at the store the last time she went. She was also grateful for the half-price sale that let her get it all cheaper than expected.

He got back to work and Elisa took the moment to admire the sight of Goliath cooking chocolate chip cookies. Now if only she could get him in a frilly apron…

She snickered at the mental picture that popped into her mind and shook her head. She needed to stop and get back to work. She started on another batch and fell into the familiar rhythm of baking. She'd never in her life envisioned herself as a simple housewife, baking away the afternoons in the kitchen. She wasn't a housewife, but here she was baking nonetheless. Though it was in the middle of the night. And her partner was a hulking gargoyle.

A few minutes later they stuck the gooey cookies in the oven and leaned back, examining the goings-on of all the others. Hudson was supervising the cleaning of his TV, assigned to Broadway, and the bathing of Bronx, assigned to Lexington, simultaneously. Brooklyn was scrubbing the floor and other areas with batter on them. None of them looked happy about it, though only Brooklyn was permitted to grumble as he worked, seeing as he didn't have Hudson glaring at his back.

Elisa looked over at Goliath. He still had a splash of cookie batter on his cheek. Elisa couldn't resist herself and reached over to him. She scooped the dough off his cheek and ate it, smiling to herself. He looked over at her, seemingly astonished by her actions. She grinned brilliantly at him and licked her finger again.

"Mm. Chocolate chip." He smiled at her grabbed her hand, pulling her finger out of her mouth. And then he kissed her.

Elisa stiffened. He'd never been this bold with her before, always checking to make sure his every action was alright with her. This was infinitely better.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and slanted her mouth against his. He was warm and soft, gently gliding over her lips. She, on the other hand, was rough. She bit his bottom lip and pushed against him for friction. This was by far the best kiss she'd ever had, and she wasn't about it waste it. She pushed herself closer and he grabbed her waist, making sure not to push his talons into her too far.

Elisa heard whistling behind her and they broke apart to see everyone staring at them with differing expressions.

The boys all had grins on their faces: Broadway with a face-splitting smile, Brooklyn with a rakish smirk, and Lexington with a beam that infused his entire face with joy. Whoever had whistled at them remained a mystery to her, though she suspected it was Brooklyn.

Hudson was nodding his head and smiling, as if he had orchestrated the entire thing. Elisa inwardly rolled her eyes and smiled at the older gargoyles actions. Bronx was wagging his tail and woofing.

Everyone was happy for them, and Elisa was glad. She knew they all regarded her as their family, and she didn't want to endanger that standing. While her relationship with Goliath was important, so was her bond with all the others.

Bronx ran to Elisa and jumped up, soapy suds and all. Elisa laughed. She probably looked like a mess, what with the cookie batter and flour on her clothes, and now she was wet to boot. Goliath looked down at her with Bronx, and her precious feeling about her appearance disappeared. He looked at her like she was the most amazing woman in the world.

She looked around her. She may not be the most amazing, as Goliath believed, or the prettiest or the bravest. But right now, as she looked around her and gazed at her friends and family, she knew without a doubt that she was the luckiest.

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><p>Hudson looked at Elisa and Goliath standing together, laughing and finding reasons to touch one another: A stray hair, a drop of batter, a smudge of flour. Bronx jumped around the impromptu circle composed of the young gargoyles, Goliath, and Elisa. He barked and jumped on Elisa again, only to switch over to Goliath a moment later.<p>

Hudson understood Bronx's excitement- he shared it. They'd kissed. In front of everyone else. Well, they'd had no idea everyone had started watching them the moment Lexington pointed out Elisa scooping the batter off Goliath's cheek.

Hudson had fake-glared at Brooklyn when he whistled at the kissing couple, but inside he was cheering Brooklyn on. Elisa and Goliath needed encouragement, and if that was the hatchlings aim, then Hudson couldn't hold it against him. In his younger days he might have even done it himself.

Lexington whooped again and jumped up to high-five Broadway. They both seemed ecstatic at the prospect of a relationship between Goliath and Elisa. Brooklyn was no less enthusiastic, clapping Goliath on the back and bombarding both him and Elisa with questions about how long they'd been together.

For his part, Goliath seemed pleased everyone knew Elisa was his. His chest was swelled with pride and happiness dripped from his every pore. He kept at least one of his hands on Elisa at all times, whether it was just his hand on the small of her back, or both or his arms wrapped around Elisa's waist. Elisa looked to be immensely happy with her position by Goliath's side. Hudson saw her looking around, and then nod minutely to herself. She seemed to become even happier after that.

The fact that something as simple as a toy helicopter crash was the final step to push Goliath and Elisa together was almost laughable, but if it worked, then Hudson had no problems with it.

He smiled as Elisa started at the timer. They'd all been in their own little world, and something as mundane as a timer seemed to come as a surprise to them. Elisa turned around and pulled the last two batches of cookies out of the oven and sat them next to the other three groups on the counter.

Before she could even pile them on a plate, the boys dove for the cookies and pulled the batch towards themselves. They shoved the cookies into their mouths, and then paused to groan in happy ecstasy. Elisa shook her head at them and split another batch of cookies in half, piling them on two separate plates. She handed one plate to Goliath and then walked over to Hudson, giving him the other plate.

He smiled at her. "Thank ye, lass. In light of recent events, I'm glad that Goliath helped instead of me." He chuckled. "I think Goliath is glad too." Elisa smiled at him and agreed. She glanced over her shoulder at Goliath and Hudson nodded towards the clan leader. "Go on, I'm sure he misses ye." Elisa shot him a grateful glance and jogged back over to Goliath.

He looked down as Bronx walked over to him and woofed. He scratched Bronx behind the ears and walked over to his chair and newly cleaned TV. He sat down and turned on Dogs 101, taking a few cookies for himself and giving the rest to Bronx.

He reached between the cushion seats and pulled up the little booklet up. It wasn't bigger than his hand, and fit in his palm nicely. The cover had 'Manual' written in bold letters with a picture of a helicopter under it. He flipped to the section that had a dog-eared corner. What greeted him was pictures of small nuts and bolts interwoven in a net of cogs and wheels, all surrounding a small motorized engine.

A warning was written at the bottom of the page, describing the effects of various conditions concerning the helicopter. Hudson scanned the list of what could cause function failures in the engine, his gaze snagging on the one that detailed the effects of removing the mini heat regular, which consisted of a fan and some other parts. Removal of could cause engine failures, smoking, over-heating, loss of directional control, and remote sensory failure.

He heard Brooklyn behind him, challenging Lexington to a cookie-eating contest. Hudson found Brooklyn's decision not to challenge Broadway to an eating contest amusing. Wise, but amusing all the same.

Bronx grunted and leaned against his chair. Hudson rubbed Bronx's side and felt a distinct budge. He chuckled silently. Everything was perfect. Goliath and Elisa were finally together, the boys seemed to have taken the loss of their helicopter with surprising grace, Bronx was filled to the brim with cookies, and Hudson, for his part, had lived to see Goliath find true love.

Hudson smiled and closed his eyes, leaning back and reveling in the smell of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. The only thing marring the joy of tonight was the chaos the helicopter crash had caused, but that hardly mattered. He'd buy the boys another one tomorrow night.

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><p><strong>And I'm done! This is the fifth chapter, but I have to say I'm disappointed with it. I felt the theme was weak, though the resolution was pretty good. I hope you all don't feel too upset with it, though you have every right to be. <strong>

**The next chapter will take a little longer to put out, most likely it'll take more than two weeks, maybe more. I apologize, but I will be working on another story for someone who, in my opinion, is a wonderful author. I constantly look forward to chatting and swapping ideas with this author. I release no names until the request is finished. Again, I am sorry, but this person asked me a while ago and I told them I had to do this chapter first. I stand by my word.**

**Ideas are really, REALLY appreciated for future chapters, and I do accept requests, either by PM or e-mail. They are welcomed! Reviews are also appreciated and welcomed, in any and all forms. Remember- He or She who does not review gets spiders in their bed! ;)**


	6. Movies, Blankets, and Popcorn

**More than two weeks equals… a year? Jeez, I'm never setting a deadline or remote time period for myself every again. EVER. I'm doomed to blow it way out of proportion with my procrastination. Shame on me, shame! *slaps hand* I apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter out. Hopefully the ones after this will come out sooner, however many chapters that may be. Not sure where I'm going with this story anymore, actually…**

**For those of you who were wondering, this story has no definite timeline or setting. It is just in a period where everyone is happy and near one another, no one is trying to take over the world, and the gargoyles are still undiscovered by the public.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, don't own, cannot ever hope to create something of such epic awesomeness, etc. etc. etc. and continue. **

* * *

><p>Goliath shook off the last remains of his stone casing and stretched joyfully. Sunset really did not come soon enough for his liking anymore. He couldn't wait to see Elisa, to hold Elisa, to be with Elisa. He had waited so long for the opportunity to love, even if he hadn't known what he was waiting for the entire time.<p>

Elisa… even her name caused a surge of happiness to run through him. From the first moment he'd seen her he knew she was unique to her people, a pure soul. She could be trusted in this strange new world they had found themselves awoken in.

Strong, trustworthy, gentle, understanding, humorous; she was everything Demona had started out as and more. Though that wasn't to say that Demona and Elisa were at all alike. Whereas Demona's feelings had been twisted and her heart blackened over time, Elisa strived to learn and understand all that surrounded her. What was more, Elisa had succeeded.

She was one of the few confidantes they had in this world, and a very close friend to all of them. Perhaps more than a friend now to him, if she was agreeable to such a match. It would not be easy, surely, and there would be many challenges. "Dating," as the younger ones had put it, seemed very tumultuous and filled with mishaps, from what he had seen on the TV and read in books. Dating a creature from an entirely different species was certain to be even harder. He was determined, however, and he hoped she reciprocated that feeling. If her reception to his kiss yesterday was any indication, he believed she would.

Of course, he would have to work harder to deserve this fortuitous turn of events. Earlier, when he had first unraveled what he was feeling for Elisa, he had worried that he was not deserving of her. She was the pinnacle of her society, someone to model oneself after, and he had failed his entire clan both human and gargoyle alike all those centuries ago.

She had made him see otherwise throughout his time with her, but he still had his reservations. He knew he had been bold earlier, kissing her without her express permission, but she had not been offended. In fact, she had seemed happy. Ecstatic, even. He would have to remember that.

The younger gargoyles brushed past him in their hurry to get inside, and Hudson clapped him on the shoulder. "Och, but it is a fine night." He glanced at Goliath slyly before adding, "Especially for two young lovers like yerself and the lass." Shaking his head and chuckling, he headed inside.

Really, the older gargoyle was getting just as bad as the younger ones. What was next?

Goliath wrapped his wings around himself and followed the others. The TV was already on and blaring, the young ones sitting in a circle around it. The formation reminded Goliath of when the warriors would make offerings to their deities at stone altars before marching to battle.

Hudson and Bronx were in the kitchen rummaging for something to eat that hadn't already been nibbled, bit, or slobbered on by the three currently worshipping their magic box. Goliath shook his head and frowned. He would need to ask Elisa to make another trip to her grocery store to replenish their stock. Elisa- his frown lightened until it became a smile. At this rate, the others would surely-

"There it is!"

"Be quiet, I can't hear!"

"Awesome, man!"

Shouts and shushing could suddenly be heard from the TV area and Goliath, Bronx, and Hudson all turned to see what was happening.

Different lights and scenes flashed across the scene. Men in masks, houses locked down, guns firing, a man banging on a door, screams for help, and then a deep announcer's voice: "'The Purge,' coming soon to a theater near you." The screen faded into black a moment before more commercials flashed on. As soon as the black screen faded the boys leapt up and cheered.

"Did you see it?"

"It's gonna be even better at the movies!"

"C'mon, guys, let's hit it!"

The three turned and raced towards the balcony before a resounding "Wait!" rang in the air. They turned around and faced Goliath, who had his arms crossed over his chest. "Where exactly do you think you are going?"

Brooklyn stepped forward and shrugged. "Just to the movies, to see that new movie 'The Purge' that came out earlier today."

"Aren't you forgetting something important?" Did they expect to just walk in like the other humans?

"No worries." Broadway stepped forward, waving his hands. "There's a theater that has an empty projection room, balcony thing in the back that no one uses anymore. The staff stores popcorn, broken seats, stuff like that back there. It's accessible from the roof, and I've used it before to watch old cowboy films on their Throwback Thursday promotion." Broadway finished proudly and nodded.

It sounded alright, though Goliath had reservations about the theater itself. That theater was where Broadway had first learned about guns, and he remembered how that had turned out for Elisa. Still, she wasn't here, and now Broadway knew the dangers about such weapons. Still, the advertisement did not exactly seem to promote peace and harmony.

As if he knew what Goliath was thinking, Lexington decided it was his turn to vouch for their movie. "We're not going for the violence or anything bad like that. It's mainly to see how our respective governmental decisions affect what we perceive as the accepted societal norms and behaviors. The dynamics of such a night and its potential impacts on the psyches of those around us, and even ourselves, are fascinating." Now aware that his two partners were staring at him like he had two heads, Lexington scratched his neck and shrugged. "Or, you know, whatever."

Goliath would have laughed if he hadn't been in what Elisa called his 'guardian guise.' "Very well then. If it is truly as Lexington says, and as safe as Broadway makes it out to be, then you may go. But remember," he warned, "be back before sunrise."

Smiles lit up all of their faces and they nearly tripped over one another on their haste to get out the door. They were obviously excited, and although Goliath suspected Lexington's reasoning was not the entire truth, he was still willing to let them go if they recognized the movie as more than a chance to watch meaningless violence.

Hudson laughed behind him. "It always gives me a smile listening to Lexington's fancy tech-talk. The lad is growing up well in this world." Goliath silently agreed with him. Lexington had seemed to flourish in this world, even more so than he had in their original time. It allowed him to stretch and test the bounds of his knowledge.

"Will ye be alright here alone, lad? Bronx and I had wanted a little late night walk in the park. Ah, the sounds of it never cease to soothe these old bones o' mine." Hudson rubbed his neck and shook his head. Goliath suddenly wondered if Hudson's aches were worse than he was letting on. It seemed he was grumping about them more than usual as of late.

"Of course not." He replied, reaching out to grab Hudson's shoulder. "I will be fine. I will use the time to think about recent events and… things." Not the best ending, but it would suffice.

Bronx woofed and Hudson reached down to rub his ears, nodding his head. "If ye insist, then. You could always watch the telly." Goliath nodded, but internally doubted it. He didn't have much use for anything that came on the TV unless it was the news.

"A good suggestion. Perhaps I will visit Elisa or go get more food." They did seem to need more and more lately.

"Oh no, no, stay here." Hudson made motions with his talons. "The lass called earlier, said she would be working. She works too hard, ye know."

"Oh, well, in that case then I will stay here and keep watch for the time being. Go, have a nice time. Hopefully the park will soothe you, as you said." He didn't really want to go out anyway.

A hesitant nod met his words. "Verra well, we'll be off then. Come along, Bronx ol' boy." Bronx chuffed happily and bounded along beside him. Bronx didn't look too old to Goliath, but he knew that looks could be deceiving. For all he knew, Bronx could be just as old and achy-feeling as Hudson.

* * *

><p>A knock startled Elisa and she looked up from the book she was reading. Who could it… ah. Hudson and Bronx were standing outside her window, smiling at her. She stood up and opened it, gesturing them in.<p>

"Hey guys, what's up? Everything alright?" She had been planning to stay in, have some quality alone time. It was rare, what with her demanding job and gargoyles.

"Yes, yes, donna fash. Bronx just wanted to say hello before we headed over to the park. He was gettin' a wee bit antsy at any rate. Might've been on account of Goliath, I s'pose…"

Elisa's ears perked up. Goliath? What was wrong with Goliath? He'd seemed fine yesterday, especially after that kiss…

Her cheeks nearly heated at the memory. Boy, oh boy, and what a kiss it had been, too. She'd dreamed about that kiss they'd shared, replayed it over and over again. She'd never seen herself as _that_ woman before, obsessing over something as small as a kiss, but here she was. Oh well. Better now, on her off time, than later on when she was working. It wouldn't do to be thinking about Goliath's lips when she was cuffing criminals.

"Is something wrong with him? Is he sick? I mean, you guys are normally so tough and all so I figured-"

"Oh, lass, I didna mean to scare you. Goliath is fine, just… lonely. The younger lads went off and Bronx and I are out. I imagine he's just in a slump, since…" Hudson trailed off, but Elisa knew what he was going to say. Since they'd kissed. He'd been in a slump since they'd kissed the other night. Jalapena, but she was so stupid. Of course he would be. She'd practically _molested_ him in front of his entire family and then not even bothered to _call _afterwards. What kind of person was she?

"No, I get it. You're right, I understand. I should call, or go over, or… something like that. We should talk and- and stuff." She sounded like a teenager with her first crush! But then, she'd never liked anyone as much as she liked Goliath.

"Sounds fine to me. Jus' be careful goin' around at night, lass. Have a good _something_ and _stuff_, as ye put it." He smiled knowingly and waved before picking Bronx up and flying off.

Something and stuff indeed. Hudson must think her a love struck ninny by now. Still, he had a point. She really needed to go over. Talk with him, spend time with him, anything. And she was dying to see him anyway.

She nodded her head resolutely. Yes, definitely. She'd hail a cab and head over. Goliath would surely be expecting her at this point.

* * *

><p>"And one, and two, and- c'mon ladies, lift those legs! And one, and two, and three."<p>

Goliath started transfixed at the fitness instructor on the screen, clad only in a pink leotard with blue wrist- and legwarmers. She was on her side, head supported by arm with the other resting on the ground, lifting her top leg methodically as she belted out encouragement.

The women on the screen seemed to enjoy, even revel in this exercise, despite being sweaty and featured in such a manner on public broadcasting.

He turned around and stared at his tail. Perhaps he needed such a workout in order to maintain a healthy muscle tone in his fifth limb. He had noticed it swinging slower than usual, and it was worrying to say the least. He had once watched an evolution debate on the Science Channel, and one of debaters had used the term 'use it or lose it.' He did not want to lose his tail, though he knew it to be highly unlikely, and so perhaps he should take up such a regime to-

Thumps and steps interrupted Goliath from his musings and he quickly stood up. The boys had scarcely been gone forty minutes, previews were probably still on. It wasn't even long enough for Bronx and Hudson to have made an entire circuit around the park.

"…iath? Goliath?" A voice floated up to him and he relaxed. It was only Elisa, but surely he had not been mistaken in hearing Hudson say she was working?

Her head popped into view and the rest of her soon followed. "Hey, I was in the neighborhood, and just thought I'd stop by. So…" She looked around and strolled over to him. "What's up?"

He gestured around. "I am keeping watch while the others are away."

Elisa looked behind him. "I can see that by the very vigilant way you appeared to be watching 'Lily's Leg Workout.'" She smiled at him and cocked an eyebrow.

Caught in the act, then. "Ah, yes, well… I was flipping channels, after scanning the sky, and- it just came on, I was watching the news-"

A suppressed giggle broke through Elisa's lips and Goliath stopped. "The unusually bright clothing caught my eye."

"Yeah, Big Guy, sure it did." She chuckled again and walked past him to sit in front of the TV. "So, anything better on?"

He joined her on the floor and handed her the remote. "Whatever you wish to watch will be fine with me." It wasn't like he was too attached to 'Lily's Leg Workout.'

"Yeah? Alright then. So where exactly did the Three Musketeers go cavorting off to anyway?"

Goliath laughed at her newest nickname for the boys. "A new movie called 'The Purge.' Have you heard of it?"

She hesitantly nodded. "Yeah. It gives the justice system a bad name. We're probably gonna have a whole new kind of trouble once it becomes more popular. Bunch of kids, running around thinking that kind of stuff is cool because they saw it in the movie." Elisa shook her head. "Just means a lot of kids in the overnight hold and a ton of paperwork for us."

He hadn't even considered the effects the movie would have on the youth after seeing it, although Elisa had a good point. She was well-versed in things of this matter.

"Hm." Goliath made a noncommittal noise.

"So, since the guys are out watching a movie, whaddaya say we do the same?" She ribbed him and smiled. "C'mon, it'll be fun, I won't pick a chick-flick or anything- promise." She grabbed his arm and jiggled it back and forth.

"Alright, what did you have in mind?"

Elisa held up a red DVD with an older man's face on the front. "Something as violent as 'The Purge,' but so much more classic. Goliath, meet R.E.D."

He was intrigued.

* * *

><p>An hour into the movie, and Elisa could tell Goliath liked it. Perhaps not the violence or killing, but the character and morals of the main character, Frank Moses. She could tell he liked the way Moses and his team banded together despite obstacles from the government and their old age. She thought Goliath liked the fact that they were older, that it reminded him of Hudson and Bronx.<p>

Goliath's chest rumbled with laughter as he watched the screen, and Elisa leaned over and whispered, "Be right back, I'm gonna go make popcorn." She hoisted herself up and ambled over to the kitchen.

She popped the back into the microwave and set it one minute. Leaning her hip on the counter while she waited, Elisa looked over and Goliath and cocked her head. They'd constructed a nest of blankets just before putting the movie on, so they'd be comfortable while watching it. Goliath was laying leaning back on a mountain of pillows that they'd scrounged up from here and there. He was still laughing at a scene, and her eyes followed the movements of his chest as it bobbed up and down.

And what a chest it was. Washboard abs, steel pecs, dear God even his nipples looked like they could bounce quarters. She bit her lip- oh, bad thoughts, girl, bad thoughts. Still… her eyes swept over him again.

Almost as if he could feel her eyes on him, Goliath turned around and locked eyes with her. She stared back, unflinchingly. They stayed like that until Elisa licked her lips, which were suddenly very, _very_ dry. Goliath's eyes zeroed in on her mouth and, if it was even possible, his gaze became more intense. Dear God, if he had that kind of concentration when looking at her mouth, she couldn't imagine what it would be like if she was-

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEE- Elisa slammed her hand down on the open button on the microwave and leaned down. One part of her wanted to tear the machine apart with her hands for breaking up their…whatever it was. Another, bigger, more logical part of her was sobbing on the ground thanking whatever god would listen that the tension was broken. She didn't think she'd be able to take much more.

A bowl was easily procured and she waited a suitable amount of time before dumping the now-cool popcorn in. _Alright, play it cool, _she thought. Bowl in hand, she ambled over and plopped down in their pool of blankets and held it out to him. "Hungry?"

He smiled and grabbed a handful before turning his head back to the movie. Elisa did the same and tried to concentrate. Tried being the key word.

But c'mon, seriously? She had a half-naked, ancient gargoyle warrior who had previously kissed her like she was the last female on earth and it was his duty to repopulate. She couldn't be blamed for any… stray thoughts that didn't pertain to the movie.

She reached for the popcorn and felt his hand cover hers. Black and white eyes locked onto hers once more, and the only thing Elisa could think before his mouth covered hers was _'hands touching in the popcorn bowl- so cliché.'_

His hands tilted her chin up and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jalepena, but he tasted divine. Like butter and gargoyle and… Goliath.

Elisa felt his mouth slant over hers and she tightened her grip on him. She'd be worried if he wasn't so durable. She moaned and pulled him to her even tighter. His body pressed up against hers, firm and unyielding. Hard in all the places where she was soft. Heat pooled in her nether regions and she could feel that he reciprocated against her stomach. It was amazing, earth-shattering, and… not enough.

Hoping it wouldn't scare him away, she let her tongue slip from her mouth and brush against his lips. Gentle brushes, butterfly strokes, teasing swipes. Enough for him to feel, but not enough for him to take any real pleasure from it.

She felt it the moment he finally surrendered. He groaned and dug his talons into her hips, dragging her across the blankets and onto his lap, knocking over the popcorn bowl in his haste. His mouth opened and another tongue came to join hers. They danced, slipping, sliding against the other. His breathing grew ragged, her eyelids drooped.

It was on the tip of her tongue, those three little words. _I love you_. She could say it, she was sure. She opened her mouth, smiling, and drew back from him. His claws eased up only enough for her to lean back slightly. She cupped his face in her hands, running her fingers along his jaw. This was it.

"Goliath, I-"

"We're back!" Shouts and laughter rang out from the balcony and Elisa whipped her head around. For a split second, she froze. Then Goliath sprang into action, setting her on the floor gently and smoothing the blankets down. There was nothing to be done for the spilt popcorn.

Goliath discreetly pulled a corner of the blanket over his lap and cocked his leg, sending a mock glare Elisa's way when she tried to stifle her giggles.

Lexington, Broadway, and Brooklyn practically smashed the doors on their way in, babbling excitedly about how amazing the movie was. As soon as they caught sight of Goliath and her, they immediately made a beeline for them.

"You guys won't believe how-"

"Absolutely amazing! I've never seen anything like-"

"It went far beyond my initial expectations!"

Elisa laughed as each one tried to tell their opinion, each trying to talk louder than the other. As they talked, one would step in front of the others to try and drive his point home. This ended with all three kneeling in front of Goliath and Elisa, waving their hands and nodded animatedly. At one point she had to duck to avoid Broadway's talons as he reenacted a scene from the movie that he found particularly cool.

"Oy, what's goin' on here?"

Five heads swiveled around at the sound of the thick accent, and three bodies sprung up to greet the older gargoyle and his canine companion. Elisa and Goliath waved from their positions on the floor.

Even more exclamations and noise arose as the younger three attempted to explain the situation and what they'd been doing, which led to them repeating to Hudson and Bronx what they'd said to Goliath and Elisa earlier. Elisa merely shook her head and smiled at their antics.

Hudson chuckled as waved his hands, signaling an end to the debate. "Aye, I'm sure 'tis as ye say. Can an old gargoyle sit down now?"

A chorus of 'of course' and 'why didn't you say so' arose at this and they ushered him to his chair near Goliath and Elisa's spot on the floor. He looked down at them and tilted his head. "And what were you two doing?"

When two voices simultaneously screeched 'nothing!' Hudson smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corner.

"Is that so, now?" He glanced down at the upturned popcorn bowl and then at the blanket in Goliath's lap before laughing.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, after everything had been cleaned up and goodbyes said, Elisa found herself plopping down on her couch and heaving a deep sigh.<p>

Cagney jumped up on her lap and meowed mournfully. She smiled and rubbed behind his ears. "Next time, when everything's perfect and we're all alone, then I'll do it. Yeah, I'll do it then." He just sat down on his haunches and stared at her critically. Elisa frowned defensively and said, "I will, just you watch. When the time is right, I'll just come out and say it, no hesitation, no excuses."

Seemingly satisfied, Cagney meowed once more and sauntered away.

She nodded resolutely once more to herself. "I will."

* * *

><p><strong>All done! Shorter than some of my other chapters, but here all the same. And it only took an entire year of silence and procrastination! Let's hear it for the slow updaters- Woop, woop… nobody else? *looks around* No one wants to join in? Well, alright, brought that one on myself I guess.<strong>

**Anyway, do with this what you will. Not sure where I'm going with this chapter, if it's going to end with 'I love you' or with 'I do.' Any ideas? **

**Down to the dirty business: REVIEW. If you don't I will send Cagney to stare at you while you sleep and Bronx to drool in your favorite shoes. Not to mention the spiders… **

**You have been warned! And I'm done being weird now. **


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